After the Storm
by Drusilla Lance
Summary: FINISHED! What might possibly happen after the tempest passes? I can't take all the credit...Some friends from an RPG helped with this. Chapter Sixteen ends this lil' adventure!
1. Chloe

Chloe turned around. Clark was gone. She needn't ask where he went--she knew. He went to Lana. After the kiss she and Clark shared, she thought he loved her as much as she did him. But she was wrong--always wrong. She prayed she was wrong this time. She prayed that Clark *didn't* go to check on Lana. She hoped against all hope he was in the bathroom, or outside watching the twisters rip thru rural Kansas, or even just making a phone call to Lana--so long as he was still on campus. But of all the times she *had* to wrong, she was right.  
  
Chloe waited until the school administrators gave permission to leave campus. The winds had died down and the tornadoes were far enough away for it to be safe. She ran around the campus one last time, hoping she'd find her date. All to no avail. No one had seen him, not even Pete. With a million emotions running thru her entire being, Chloe got into her car and left.  
  
She couldn't choke back the tears and sobs that ran down her face, smudgeing her pretty make-up. She just wanted to go home. She just wanted to lay in a hot tub full of bubbles and release her feelings there. A hot bath would make her feel better, she told herself. She unconsciously sped up. The tears kept coming coming more abundantly, to the point her vision was blurred. She didn't see the other prom attendees driving complete drunk. The only thing she saw--perhaps the last thing she would ever see-- was the pavement her body slided upon after she had been thrown from her car.  
  
Pete was driving fast. He always drove fast, but the added rage of what his best friend Clark had done to Chloe made him drive at a somewhat insane speed. Up ahead, he saw a smoke rising from a wrecked car. He slowed down and pulled over to investigate.  
  
On the ground, he saw a familiar face. It was Chloe. Pete quickly whipped out his cell phone and called an ambulance. After he hung up he crouched down by Chloe, being careful not to move her. He hoped the ambulance would hurry. Someone should have stopped to help her earlier. But everyone else leaving the prom was probably too drunk and they were probably the reason she wrecked. He exhaled, trying to calm down, while silently sayin a prayer for his friend.  
  
Chloe didn't move. She was barely breathing. She had abrasions up and down her legs, back, shoulders and arms. Her head had a severe gash running from the back of her, continuing on until just before her hairline. One couldn't tell she was a blonde with all the blood. She remained unconscious the entire time.  
  
The paramedics arrived. The treated Chloe as best as they could. They rolled her into the ambulance.  
  
One medic turned to Pete. "Are you the one who called this in?"  
  
Pete nodded.  
  
"If you could please follow us back to the hospital," he asked. "You'll need to file a report."  
  
After arriving at the hospital, Pete was sat down by a policeman. The policeman proceeded to interrogate him about what exactly happened at the accident. Pete did his best to answer the barrage of questions. He informed the officer that he did know Chloe, that he was driving home from the formal when he found her and he didn't witness the accident. Then the officer asked if there were any other witnesses or suspects. Pete shook his head. "Not that I could see."  
  
The officer asked a few more routine questions and left, leaving Pete waiting in the ER for information on his female friend. 


	2. Lex

The window broke and shattered into a million pieces, piercing and cutting anything standing in it's way. Lionel took shelter behind the exquisite oak desk. The wind taken Lex airborn and slammed him into the bookcase lining the wall. It toppled over him. He managed to find the strength to emerge from the wreckage. He had an intensive wound just millimeters above his right eye. He used his shirt to wipe away the blood that had penetrated his eylids.  
  
The wind was almost too much to withstand. Lex fought triumphantly to keep his ground, however, a column that supported the ceiling could not. It collapsed onto Lionel, fracturing his hip in more than one place. Without the column, it was only a matter of seconds until the ceiling began to give way to nature's evil commands. A portion began falling, it's splintered and sharpened end pointed towards the handicapped Lionel like a midieval pendulum. "Help me, Lex!" he cried. "Help me!"  
  
Lex' lips twisted into a wickedly pleased smile. He relished in seeing his father so helpless. His smile grew as he heard his father pleaing for help. How many times had Lex pleaed for help or love or attention? How many times had he been denied? The tables were turned, and Lex loved every second of it.  
  
"Please Lex!" Lionel persisted. "If not for me--or even yourself--do it for your mother! Do it for Mommy!"  
  
Lex thought back to his childhood, as he watched his father trapped and crying out for his help. Lex thought of all the times he cried out, and his father either ignored him or left someone else to deal with the problems. He thought of how long he had waited to watch his father in pain, to make him feel the same torment Lex had felt all his life. And yet, now as the moment was upon him he felt a sudden need to save the one person in the world he truly hated.  
  
Lex saw Lionel try and squirm out from underneath the rubble, but his injuried hip prevented that. Lionel was writhing in agony and reaching out to his son. Lex, reluctanlty, pushed his way towards Lionel and grabbed his hand. He pulled, and Lionel screamed in pain.  
  
"Lex, you have to get the column off before you can pull me out, the weight is too much, hurry!" Lionel screamed as he pushed on the column. Lex pulled on it and Lionel squirmed out. As Lionel squirmed his body pushed against Lex and the force of the wind and Lionel's bumping in to him caused Lex to fall on top of the column as the sharp and sharp portion of the ceileing, along with the rest came crashing down on Lex.  
  
Lionel pulled himself away from the collapsing roof and turned to see the avalanche on Lex. Lionel coughed as the smoke blew harshly in his face, several bits of the ceiling flew into his eyes, blinding him, but he could still hear a faint whisper.  
  
"Father..." Lex's voice was weak, he was obviously injuried and in pain.  
  
"LEX? I Cant see you, the dust is blinding me. Just....just keep talking, Lex, and maybe I can find you!" Lionel shouted over the howling winds and the fierce sounds of chaos surrounding them.  
  
"Fine...I'll keep talking. A few moments ago, Iwondered...whether...you were worth saving...after all...these years you've...you've never been a real father to me.you've...always...pushed me away and acted like...like...I dont exsist...even though I've wished...I've wished...terrible things...to happen...to you...I couldnt just sit there and watch you...let you...die...you are my father...and I guess...in some way I...I...I see why you pushed me away...I'm not much of a son...your not much of a father...I guess...we both...need...need." Lex's voice faded away, as his father tripped over the remains of the ceiling, reaching over the surfaces and calling out for Lex.  
  
"KEEP TALKING LEX! I STILL CANT FIND YOU!" Lionels voice was wild and frustrated. Lionel suddenly stumbled over something. It was a mound of rubble, much higher than the others. Lionel siffted through the rubble and saw that he had stumbled on to Lex. He quickly pulled all the rubble off and saw that the sharp piece of ceiling had pierced through Lex's right shoulder. Lionel rubbed his beard and contemplated what to do, but without much further thought he put his right hand on Lex's shoulder and used his left hand to pull the giant splinter out. Lionel then turned Lex over and saw that Lex was bleeding from the mouth and his eyes were glazed over. Lionel lifted up lex and walked through the rubble out of the castle, putting Lex in the passenger seat of his car and driving into the storm.  
  
Lionel was surprised at what his son had said. He thought about it all the while driving to the local hospital. Didn't he know any better? Lionel had worked so hard his entire life to give Lex his every wish and whim. In order to do so, he had to work a little later, go places a little farther. All he wanted was for Lex to be the man he was destined for--and he was destined for greatness. Lionel did these things to Lex out of love, couldn't he see that? He wanted Lex to be different. He wanted him to turn out better than all other Luthors before him. Pain was only a small price to triumph.  
  
Lionel limped painfully into the Emergency Room, shouting for help. "My son...he's dying!" ER attendents rushed to Lionel's vehicle and immediately focused on the lifeless Lex. Lionel prayed that he'd be alright. His wife and second child had died...If Lex died...his life would be worthless.  
  
A few minutes later, Lionel, himself was attended to. They laid him on a table and did a few x-rays of his hip. He sat up, though having much difficulty in doing so. He wondered how he was able to drive here. 


	3. Triple Threat

Martha screamed after her husband, who chased the reporter that threatened everything good in the Kent's lives. She had never seen her husband this angry, not since the incident with Lionel many years ago. She knew her husband would either kill the reporter before he revealed their family's precious secret--or die trying. She began to follow until a white light enveloped the room. She turned to see the spacecraft hovering inches above the floor, glowing. In all the years they had kept it hidden in the cellar, it had remained dormant. To Martha's surprise, it opened, the white light becoming brighten and purer, almost to the point of blindness. It flashed in a pattern and emitted a high pitched noise that could almost crush the human eardrum. It stopped suddenly, and Martha fell to the ground, unconscious, comatose. The ship had vanished.  
  
Jonathan grabbed a sharp pic from the tool rack that hung from the cellar walls and chased madly after the reporter, Nixon. No one on the face of the planet was going to hurt his son. It was a miracle that Clark had managed to fall from the sky like shooting star with a broken wing. All the years of praying for a child had finally been answered. Eleven years of loving and cherishing him was going to be thrown away if he didn't stop this publicist madman.  
  
Nixon ran. It was almost a game to him, a childish game of pleasure and fun. The Kent's story was going to make him big. He would probably win the Pulitzer or the Nobel Science Award--or both. Fame was, at last, his for the picking, and he planned to pick every last molecule of it.  
  
Nixon finally reached his car before Jonathan could get to him, and sped off. Jonathan had no plausible way to get to him. His truck had been destroyed by that monstrosity and Martha's was on the other side of the farm, the engine filled with dust and debris. Jonathan threw the pic down into the ground. If Clark had been here, Nixon wouldn't have had a chance.  
  
The wind was picking up and the triple threat of the tornadoes came closer and closer. Lana tried to get out of her truck, but the seatbelt wouldn't give. She tried starting up the engine again, but the debris the wind brought had already damaged it beyond repair. There was nothing she could do, save pray that there was little pain her in inevitable death.  
  
Out of the corner of her eye she saw a strange movement. At first she thought it was debris, but it was coming faster than the wicked winds were and in the opposite direction it was blowing from. It halted, just a few yards from her. It was Clark decorated in his formal attire. She screamed for help and banged on the window. Suddenly--too suddenly--she was enveloped in the vortex.  
  
Clark spots Lana in the middle of the tornado. Worried, he proceeds into the tornado to rescue her. Suddenly, a tractor slams into Clark, shredding his tux to pieces. Clark throws the tractor out of the tornado, then tears the rest of his blazer off. He moves closer to the truck in which Lana is trapped and reaches for the door.  
  
Without warning, a shed comes from his left and knocks him out of the storm. He hits the ground forcefully, leaving an imprint in the ground below. He gets up and glides through the air back into the storm. He then heads straight towards the truck, grabbing it from the bottom and pushing it out of the storm, bringing it down slowly and grabs the door by ramming his hand into the body, ripping the door off and tossing it aside. He looks at Lana, her pretty hair all messed. Clark pulls the seat belt off of her and picks her up. Using his super speed, he runs to the farm and down into the cellar where he finds his mom, unconscious.  
  
He lays Lana down gently and attends to his mother. He looks around for his father. He wasn't in the cellar. Clark was scared. He didn't know quite what to do. "Mom!" He checks her vitals, to make sure she was alive. He breathes a sigh of relief when she checks out okay. He gently pats his mother on cheeks, trying to get her to come to. "Mom. It's me, Clark. Come one, Mom. Wake up."  
  
Clark looks back at Lana to make sure she was still alright. He notices the ship was gone. What the heck happened here? Clark thought. Where's the ship? He turns back to his mother. "Mom!"  
  
Martha woke up with a start. She pushed herself away from her niece. She looked around, seemingly disoriented. "Where am I?!" she screamed, terrified.  
  
"It's okay, Mom," Clark said. "We're in the cellar. Do you know where Dad is?"  
  
"Who's Dad?" Martha asked. "Who are you? Why did you just call me 'mom'? We're in the cellar, which is *where*?" Martha's eyes were big. Her adrenaline was pumping--she was scared. She didn't know where she was, who this child before her was or even what she was doing.  
  
Clark's eyes grew large and he became very frightened. 


	4. Roomates

Hours after Chloe had underwent surgery to repair her skull, she awoke in the hospital. She had a hard time remembering what had happened--then it hit her. She vaguely remembered the car crash. Her eyes watered. *This is all Clark's fault!* she screamed inside her head. *If he hadn't left to profess his undying love for Lana, I wouldn't be here!*  
  
She glanced around the room and saw her roommate was none other than Lex Luthor. He, himself, had just come out of surgery. He looked worse than Chloe. She wondered what had happened. Lex had oxygen running into his nostrils and an IV in his left arm. He was still wearing a pair of bloody and dusty khakis and his shirt was off revealing many deep cuts and one just recently stapled shut would that spanned most of the right side of his chest. Lex's eyes were closed, but his breathing was so deep it was obvious he was awake, but in great pain. The IV seemed to be morphene, but from Lex's facial expressions, it didnt seem to be working.  
  
"Lex?" Chole asked as she rolled on her side and pulled her bed closer to Lex's. For a moment, it seemed as if Lex didnt hear Chloe, but then his hand rose slightly in a sort of outreached gesture towards Chloe. Chloe sat up and reached for Lex's hand. He seemed to need something to hold. Lex had still yet to open his eyes.  
  
"Mom...I'm so glad your here...I thought i was dead for sure...Dad...he." Lex's voice was distant and quivering, it was obvious he was out of it and in a lot of emotional and pysichal distress.  
  
"Lex...it's me.Chloe...LEX!" Chloe rubbed Lex's hand quickly to try and get him to realize that she wasnt his mother.  
  
"Ch...Chloe? What...What are you doing here?" Lex's eyes opened as he gave Chloe a very confused look.  
  
"It appears we're roomates." Chloe said with a smile. Lex seemed to be coming out of his haze and adjusting to his surroundings. Lex sat up a bit and then realzied he was injuried and flinched in pain. He held his chest and lay back down on the pillows.  
  
"For a second there I forgot about the storm...forgot about what happened. Too bad that second didn't last very long." He paused, remembering his mother. "So Chloe.what happened to you? Are you alright?" Lex seemed sincerly concerned with Chloe, but she didnt want to tell him that what was really hurting her was Clark.and Lex and Clark were so close, she didnt think it was right.  
  
"It dosent seem like my injuries are all that bad compared to yours! I'm getting better, just a little head trauma, the doctors say I should have some dizzyness for a while but other than that I'm ok. Now...what happened to you?" Chloe explained with a forced smile on her face, but inside Clark's decision was still wrecking her emotions.  
  
Lex looked into Chole's eyes for a moment...he saw something he knew was sadness, and being the social sleuth he was, he assumed it has something to do with Clark. It was obvious to him and everyone else how Chole felt about Clark, except Clark, himself. Lex remembered Clark telling him he was taking Chloe to the big Spring Formal. "Where's Clark, Chloe? Wasn't he your date?" Lex asked.  
  
Chloe's eyes shifted to the floor. She tried to fight back tears once again. "He...uh...ditched me..." Chloe felt awful. Not just because of the skull fracture on the outside, but because of the emotional torment she suffered inside. Sure, she had crushes before, but Clark was different. She thought it was real love. But now she doubted that more than ever.  
  
She continued. "We were at the dance when they announced the presence of the tornadoes on the other side of town. Clark was worried about Lana. I guess that's normal...I'd have been worried, too, but having Clark think of her right when..." She thought of the kiss they almost had. "...Well, anyways...having Clark think of her made me jealous. I said I'd go phone her. I turned for just a split second and...he was gone." She couldn't believe she was professing her problems to someone she hardly knew and barely liked.  
  
Lex listened as Chloe opened up to him, he couldnt help but feel a little honored that she would feel comfortable enough with him. When it came to friends, Chloe and Lex were...not. However that didn't mean they couldn't be. They were only aquantances through Clark, and they barely saw each other. But Clark did talk to Lex a lot about Chloe...and about Lana. It confused Lex, because he really didnt know what Clark wanted...until he listened to Chloe.  
  
"Clark looks out for all his friends. He has gone out of his way to make sure you were safe on numerous occasions, and he would do the same for Lana. You wouldnt want Lana to die, would you Chloe?" Lex asked, trying to sit up but once again feeling pain. "Clark...he has this quality that no one can really seem to fathom, its like this...hero gene, he feels like he has to stop everything bad from happening. Like he has to.right every wrong, save the damsel in distress, protect the innocent. I admire that in him, but I cant say I share the same trait. I've always thought its best to fend for yourself, when you rely on others you tend to get let down, or find out that its best not to trust others. Clark's heroism is amazing, and yet for those he cares about it's really a blessing. Clark loves you Chole, just as he loves me, and as he loves Lana. He loves all people. It's strange...but he does. I only know of one instanse where he showed anger and a violent side, and he had every reason too...It was his family, in danger. They're the ones that probably mean the most to him, and with every good reason. The Kents raised him since he was a little boy, they know everything about him, and the love him. Even if they aren't his real parents, they're good parents. It seems at times he forgets that he is adopted."  
  
Chloe nodded at Lex's words. He was right. She would have felt horrible if Lana *did* suffer some tragic death by wind. She hated being wrong. Most 21 year olds would be out clubbing or getting drunk, but Lex was different. He was wise beyond his years.  
  
But how would Clark have known she was in trouble? He didn't even wait for Chloe to call and be sure. What if Lana was at home, safe and snug sitting by the warm glow of a fire...with Clark. She tried not to think that. ~Lana's in trouble,~ she kept telling herself, over and over again. ~Otherwise Clark would be with you.~  
  
"Dont worry about him," Lex said. "Running off to Lana doesn't mean he doesn't feel for you the same way you feel for him."  
  
"What do you mean the way I feel for him?" Chloe's embarrassment shone right through her question.  
  
"Oh come on Chloe, you dont think I see it just as everyone else does. When Clark enters the room, a childish-- but cute--grin comes across your face. Your eyes look at him with such...determination and frustration mixed with happiness and bliss. You love..."  
  
There was a knock at the door, it was Lionel Luthor, wheelchair in all.  
  
"Hello, Lex...how are you feeling?" Lionel asked, ignoring the fact that Lex had been in the middle of a conversation with Chloe.  
  
"Hello Mr. Luthor...I guess, I'll leave you two alone for a minute. I should go get something from the cafeteria anyways. I have had Jell-O once too many times this year alone." Chloe stood and walked out of the hospital room, but she waited just outside the door. She was intrested in the relationship Lex and Lionel had with each other, and if she heard anything intresting she could always turn it into a good story.  
  
"Lex.about what you said back at the mansion.I know I haven't been a great father to you, but I had a busniess to run. I'm sure you understand. I..." Lionel spoke to Lex, but Lex just stared right through Lionel. "Are you alright, Lex?"  
  
"Oh I'm fine," Lex said harshly. "I just got impaled, got a few broken ribs, a dislocated verterbre in my back and a hell of a headache because I was trying to save your life. But with what you just did to Chloe, I'm not sure if it was worth it. I was having a nice conversation with my friend and you come barging in, acting like she dosen't exsist. Just like you've done to me my whole life! All you ever do is push me away and I still try and make you proud! I still try and be better than you! But I just realized something father, I already am a better person than you! Because I at least have concern for others! You don't care about anyone but yourself! Now get the hell out of my room, and if you see Chloe...you'd better apologise!"  
  
Lionel stood, not saying anything, and exited the room. He passed by Chloe, who had heard Lionel getting up and taken a seat in a chair across the hall and pulled up a magazine to cover her face. Lionel walked by her, muttering to himself. When he had passed by, Chloe walked back into the room to see Lex sitting up in his bed and putting his clean clothes on. Chloe was confused. Lex's injuries would surely require he stay at the hospital more than one night.  
  
"I'm sorry to rush out on you, Chloe, but my house has been destroyed. I need to get back to Metropolis and finish up some work, and I have a reporter at the Daily Planet I need to talk to." He paused. "Say, aren't you supposed to start an internship at the Daily Planet this summer? If you are, I can surely get you an apartment in Metropolis, making travel less of a hassel. But, if youd rather stay here and be around Clark and Lana...I understand."  
  
Chloe sighed and sat down on her bed, facing Lex. "I don't think I have much of a choice," she said. "Since your dad closed the plant, my dad wants to move back to Metropolis." She loved it here in Smallville. Everything was so simple. She complained about how rural and "low-tech" everything seemed to be, but she really did love it here. She shuddered at the thought of having to return to the social higher archy that urban school was like.  
  
Her whole world seemed to be falling apart as of late. First her best friend--and near lover--develops these wierd powers and goes on a killing spree--she being one who came close to his victim, then that stupid cop kidnaps her and tortures her, Clark having completely ignored her feeling for the past year now, and having to relocate back to public transportation and gang riots. It was driving her over the edge of sanity.  
  
Pete entered. Chloe didn't recognize him as her mortal savior. She had been unconscious the entire time.  
  
"Well, seeing as the two of you are here," Lex said, "I might as well say this to both of you, since you both need to hear it. My mansion is ruined, my plant is closed, there isnt much left for me here in Smallville, so I'm moving back to Metropolis, most likely permanently. Chloe, you heard what I said before. I know your father wants you to move back to Metropolis, and with my connections I can get you a very nice home. Now, I dont know if I'll be able to immediatly get your father another job, but it will be one of my top priorities. As far as I go...I'm leaving Luthor Corp...  
  
"What?!" Pete and Chloe shouted.  
  
Chloe stared blankly at Lex. She knew he hated his father--who didn't know? But she never thought he'd leave. She always imagined him either waiting patiently to inherit the corporation or becoming successful enough to take over or buy out his father. Chloe was almost speechless at first, which gave away her shock. She was always full of questions. As an intrepid reporter, interrogation came naturally.  
  
However, after exchanging a few glances between everyone present, Chloe began asking away. "I don't understand...Your house can be rebuilt. You have the money. The plant's a lost cause, but to leave LuthorCorp completely... It's your name. " Chloe shook her head in confusion. " Okay-- I know you don't like being a Luthor, but...You're the only one who can end your father's reign of terror...How are you going to do that by pulling a reverse Cinderella; a riches to rags?"  
  
"I don't intend to go to rags, Chloe. Despite what you may think, Ii do have money stored away that my father isn't in control of. As for Luthor Corp, its industrial reign of terror here in Smallville is over, this town is going to go back to being a smalltown, without the corprate giant watching over it. My father was on the verge of taking over this town, but I couldn't let that happen. The people of this town deserve better than to be driven out of their homes against their will. My father, and the company he built, both mean nothing to me right now. I'm going to Metropolis, where I happen to be co-owner of a prestige night club...The Green Room. And I still have some authority with the Talon here, which will bring in a good amount of funds to me. My basic plan is to save up enough money and then when I have enough I'm going to...going to..."  
  
"Going to do what, Lex?" Pete asked, happy Lex was leaving.  
  
Lex looked out the hospital room window. He smiled for a moment, then put on his black sports coat and walked to the doorway. He stood in the doorway for a moment, then turned to face Chloe and Pete, who were both still in shock.  
  
"Il futuro comincia stasera, il mio amore, la mia vita, la mia lotta" Lex said with a smile on his face, then he slowly walked down the hall and exited the hospital.  
  
"What did he just say?" Chloe asked, baffled by Lex's Italian.  
  
Pete shrugged.  
  
"Take me to Metropolis" Lex said to the driver of the taxi cab he entered.  
  
"Sure thing, Mr. Luthor" The driver replied.  
  
"Thanks...actually.on second thought.could you take me to the Kent Farm first?" Lex asked, chaging his focus from Metropolis to the Kents  
  
"Whatever you want Mr. Luthor." 


	5. Nixon

The taxi pulled off of the main street and headed down the long dirt road that led to the Kent home. Lex was busy sorting through some papers when he looked up and saw Nixon, and Lex's car speeding towards them.  
  
"Driver, pull over!" Lex shouted as the driver complied. Lex hopped out of the car and saw Nixon drawing closer, slowing down now that he saw Lex. Lex stood in the middle of the road and Nixon came to a sudden stop in front of him. Nixon tumbled out of the car, out of breath and bleeding from a cut over his head.  
  
"Lex...the Kents...I have...proof...John...attacked me, I...had to...defend myself..." Nixon panted, out of breath and scared as well. Lex grabbed Nixon by the collar and threw him in to the car.  
  
"I told you.the Kent project is closed!" Lex pulled Nixon off his feet and threw him into the car again.  
  
"Lex...I have...proof!" Nixon pulled a video tape out of his jacket and handed it to Lex. Lex took the video and examined it for a moment  
  
"So this is all the proof you have?" Lex questioned, looking down and the bloody and beaten Nixon  
  
"Yes... but...I...I saw...the." Before Nixon could finish, Lex pulled the video apart, pulling out the stream of film and cracking the tape apart. Lex tossed the destroyed film in to a puddle as Nixon looked on in shock  
  
"Do you realize what youve done! that could have been the biggest story in history!" Nixon staggered to his feet and spit in Lex's face  
  
"Oh...I most certainly realize what I've done. I've kept you around too long and you've put my relationship with the Kent family in jeopardy!" Lex shouted at Nixon as he wiped the spit off his face. In the distance, Johnathan Kent began to jog towards the two men. As he grew closer Lex lay into Nixon with a series of punches and then threw him into the backseat of Lex's car. Lex drove towards Johnathan Kent, who stopped running when he saw the car headed back towards him. Lex pulled up next to Johnathan and stepped out of the car, and as soon as he did Johnathan was upon him. He grabbed him by the shirt collar and stared into his eyes coldly.  
  
"You have a hell of a lot of explaining to do!" Jon screamed.  
  
"Mr. Kent, if you'll just calm down, I can explain everything." Lex said as Jon eased off a bit, but still held on to Lex. "Nixon was acting without my authority, whatever damaged he may have caused your family I will reimburse, but, again, Nixon acted alone. Mr. Kent...Johnathan.my relationship with your family means a great deal to me, Nixon put that in Jeopardy...and as you can see, I was upset with him for that."  
  
"Beating up your lacky dosen't put you in my favors Lex. What was Nixon looking for? Why was he intrested in my family, and where is the footage he had of Clark?" Johnathan asked angrily.  
  
"I dont know what he was looking for. Like I said, he acted alone. The footage: I destroyed it. If you don't believe me, you can walk up the road and look for yourself. It's in a puddle up there. Mr. Kent, please believe me, I did not want this to happen!" Lex pleaded. John let go of his grip and walked towards the taxi parked several hundred meters away. The two men walked towards the Taxi and eventually came upon the destroyed footage. It was where Lex said it would be--in a puddle.  
  
"Thank you, Lex...this...means a lot." John said as he picked up the destroyed tape up and looked at it. The two men then turned to head back to the Kent Farm, only to have Lex's car come speeding towards them. John was still examining the tape, but Lex saw the car coming at them. He jumped on top of Johnathan and the two men rolled out of the harm's way. However, the taxi was right behind the two men. Nixon couldn't stop in time, thus the taxi driver ran from the vehicle as Nixon slammed in to it at full speed. Lex and Johnathan continued to roll away as the cars exploded and bits of scrap metal flew in every direction. As the smoke cleared, Johnathan and Lex stood back up.  
  
"We'd better call the hospital!" Johnathan said, forgetting the pain and torment that Nixon had put him through that day.  
  
"No...there is no way he survived that," Lex commented, as he felt the left side of his chest tingle with pain. The rolling had irritated his already injuried ribs and his bandage had peeled off a bit. "John, do you mind if i get taped back up at your home, my ribs..." Lex lifted his shirt and showed that he had indeed aggravated an already serious injury, and the blood was dripping out of his re-opened wound.  
  
"My gosh, Lex. What happened?" Johnathan asked in shock.  
  
"The mansion was destroyed. I got this injury trying to save my father from being trapped under it as it collapseed and I ended up getting trapped under the rubble myself." Lex realized that all this happened mere hours ago. The pain began to increase, and Lex had to sit down on the dirt road. His expensive suit was covered in blood, some his, some Nixons. He breathed deeply for a few moments and then stood back up and pulled out his cell phone. He dialed a number and put the phone against his ear.  
  
"This is Lex Luthor, there has been an accident on the road near the Kent farm...Yes...alright...yes, the taxi driver will meet you here...No, no, no I wasn't hurt in the accident...uh huh...thank you" Lex flipped his phone shut and walked towards Johnathan.  
  
"Why did you call it in?" Mr Kent asked.  
  
"Someone has to come to give that taxi driver a ride home," Lex laughed and hobbled back towards the Kent farm behind Johnathan. J ohn was a ways ahead of Lex when Lex walked over the tape. It had rolled out of Mr. Kent's hands when Nixon tried to run them down. Lex looked at it. He then picked it up and placed it in his inside coat pocket, then he continued to walk towards the Kent Farm. 


	6. Readmittance

"Where am I!?" Martha screamed at a very confused Clark, still in his tuxedo. Clark was in way over his head. On the one hand, he had Lana Lang injuried and unconscious to deal with, and on the other, he had his mother, seemingly suffering a form of amnesia. He was in real need of some help. John and Lex were almost to the Kent house, when the heard Martha's screams. The two men headed towards the basement, John running down the stairs as Lex followed slowly behind. Clark saw his father and looked up at him.  
  
"Dad! I brought Lana here after saving her from one of the tornadoes. She's not doing too well. Mom can't remember a thing and the ship's missing." He saw Lex come staggering in and stopped his explanation. Lex heard what Clark had said, but pretended not to. John moved to the wife's side.  
  
"Who are you?" Martha said sobbingly as she pushed him away, so afraid and scared.  
  
"Mrs. Kent?" Lex asked. As he looked into Martha's eyes, she showed no recognition to Lex at all.  
  
"Who are all of you? And why are you calling me 'Mrs. Kent?!'" Martha pushed herself into the corner of the basement with a look of fright on her face.  
  
"What...What happened to her?" John asked Clark, trying to fight back tears.  
  
" I dont know. I just came down here so Lana would be safe and found her...like this!" Clark was scared as well. They all seemed to be, except for Lex.  
  
"Mrs.--Martha! It's Lex Luthor! I'm a friend of yours. Do you know where you are Mrs. Kent?" Lex asked in a soothing tone.  
  
Still in her corner, she shook her head.  
  
"Martha...you're...you're my--" John started to say, but Lex put his hand up and stopped him. Johnathan looked at Lex with fury in his eyes, then a sort of understanding. "I'm your friend, Martha...your very good friend." Jon continued as he reached his hand out to Martha, who took it and looked into Johnathans eyes, trying to recognize him.  
  
"I think you'r esuffering from amnesia, Martha. We're going to take you to the hospital now...alright?" Lex said as the group began to move out of the basement. Clark took Lana in his arms while Lex and Jon escourted Martha.  
  
"Lex, I dont have a truck. It was destroyed by that no-good reporter." John admitted.  
  
"It's okay, Mr. Kent. I phoned for an amublance for myself on our walk back. I'm sure I can take Lana and Mrs. Kent with me," Lex replied.  
  
An ambulance pulled up to the Kent farm and several paramedics rushed to Clark, who handed them Lana. Lana was still unconscious as the paramedics placed her on the stretcher. Lex got in with her and Jon helped Martha in, as well. Jon moved to get in, but the paramedic stopped him.  
  
"I'm sorry, Mr. Kent, we cant fit you in here. You'll just have to wait." The paramedic said as the he closed one of the back doors, Lex tossed Jon a cell phone as the other door closed. Jon nodded and turned to Clark as the ambulance sped away.  
  
"So, Clark...what happened to the spaceship?" Jon asked.  
  
"I don't know," he replied. "It was gone when I got there."  
  
The paramedics burst through the hospital doors with Lana on the stretcher, and Lex by her side. The paramedics took Lana into a room and began to try and fix her injuries. The nurse took Martha to another room.  
  
Lex had been taken back to the room he had originally been put in. All the Ers were full to the brim. He saw Chloe and Pete almost exactly where he had left them. The two turned and looked at him, stunned that he had returned, and that he looked so dishelved.  
  
"I cant seem to get enough of this place," Lex said as he was put back onto the bed.  
  
"Oh my gosh, Lex, what happened?" Chloe asked, a hand over her mouth.  
  
"It's...it's a long story. I'm really tired now, and I think I need to get re-stiched...I'm...leaking." Lex had been losing a lot of blood, and now he was begining to lose conciousness. "Lana...Mrs. Kent.both...both are here.Lana got hurt and.Mrs. Kent.seems to have...amnesia."  
  
"Amnesia?" Chloe asked in disbelief.  
  
"Yes...she's...just down the hall.I don't know.what happened.But I do know that.Clark saved Lana."  
  
"Why are you doing this Hero thing Lex? Didnt we establish that as being Clark's job?" Chloe laughed as Lex smiled and reached out to take Chloe's hand, who took it and moved closer to Lex, as Pete got severely jealous.  
  
He whispered to Chloe, his voice crackling with pain and becoming hoarse. "I'm not a hero.what I did.was for.myself...because.II care.about the Kents.and Lana...and I'm glad.you were saved.because I'm.begging to think.I've made.a new friend.in you..." Chloe smiled as Lex leaned his head back and then passed out.  
  
"I'd better get a doctor." Pete said and walked into the hall to look for a doctor.  
  
"I thought you hated Lex Luthor," Chloe said.  
  
Pete turned back to her and spread his arms apart and smiled joshingly. "Yeah, but I'd hate to be the only one not following the hero trend."  
  
Chloe still held Lex's hand. "Yes...definitly a friend, Lex." Chloe smiled and sat back down on her bed as Pete brought in some doctors to look at Lex. Pete stayed with Chloe as they watched the doctors work on Lex from her bedside.  
  
Suddenly another doctor burst in the room. "We need all staff in room 108 right away, medical emergency!" the doctor shouted as the other doctors quickly finished their work on Lex and rushed down the hall.  
  
Chloe grabbed the doctor who ordered the others and asked what the emergency was.  
  
"It's young girl, about your age. Came in from experienceing the tornadoe first-hand. We don't know if she's going to be able to pull through..."  
  
"LANA!" Pete and Chloe shouted in unison.  
  
Jonathan and Clark entered the hospital. Neither of them had said a word to the other after what had happened back home.  
  
Clark seemed to be very upset. Everyone she cared about was getting hurt and there was nothing he could do about it.  
  
"I want to see your mother, first," Jonathan said.  
  
Clark nodded. "I'll just go see how Lana and Lex are doing." 


	7. The Hospital

Lex shouldn't have left in the first place, Chloe thought. Everyone but him saw the further complications it would create.  
  
Pete had gone to call his parents to tell them he would be spending the night with Chloe at the hospital. Chloe tried to get some rest, but just she had her fill of resting, between the incident at Lex' castle a few months ago, Justin, and that crazed cop.  
  
Her father had been in Metropolis when she had her accident last night. It had taken him awhile to return to Smallville, but as soon as he did, he was at the hospital. She and he visited for a couple hours, glancing over at her new friend as he rested, hoping he'd be alright, before she insisted he go home and get some rest. He reluctantly complied with his daughter's wishes.  
  
She layed in bed, staring up at the ceiling for not even two minutes before she got bored. She snuck out of her room to do a little snooping.  
  
Her first stop: Lana's room. She peeked in and saw Lana on a respirator. Nell had fallen asleep in a chair that looked quite uncomfortable, bedside.  
  
Next she found Martha Kent's room. She listened in for a few minutes on a conversation between the amnesiac woman and her family. Clark's whole world was falling apart faster than Chloe thought hers was. His best friend was severely injured, the girl of his dreams was dying, and his mother couldn't remember him even if she wanted to.  
  
Chloe's stomach growled. She refused to return to her room and have Jell-O stuffed down her throat again. Instead, she found the room the hospital kept patients' clothing and other personal items. She found her own purse and grabbed some change from it.  
  
She proceeded down to the cafeteria and raided the Little Debbie snack machine. She began to sit down at her own table, when Pete had caught her eye. Instead, she walked over to him. "Mind if I sit?" she asked, flashing her trademark cheery smile.  
  
"Pete?" Chloe asked. "Do you know what happened to me? The last thing I remember was crying as I drove home."  
  
Pete's heart broke. He still couldn't believe Clark did this to her. Chloe deserved better than him. Much better than him. Pete took a deep breath, not wanting to remember the sight. "Well, I was driving home and saw your car totally wrecked. You had been thrown a good fifty feet from it." Pete took a large gulp of soda. "I saw you.all bloody. You didn't even look like you. I thought you were dead, man." He paused. "You had me scared."  
  
Back in the Martha's room, the woman in question had calmed some. She sat on her bed, sipping away at some hot cocoa. Her hands had a slight tremble. She could remeber her own name--Martha Clark--and where she lived-- Metropolis. But she couldn't remember what she was doing in Smallville, or why she was there.  
  
Jonathan had been speaking to the doctor outside the room. He was doing his best to fight back tears, but to have his wife in such an altered psychological state was more than heartbreaking--it almost broke his entire being.  
  
He reentered the room and sat down down next to Clark. He sighed, trying to figure out how to tell his family what the doctor had just told him without having an emotional breakdown.  
  
He looked to his dear wife. "The doctors say that after they run a few tests, we'll be able to you home." He glanced at Clark, who looked just as heartbroken as he. "They say that putting you back into your element would help jog your memory sooner." There was a long silence in the room. "Is there anything you want us to do?"  
  
Martha looked at him blankly. She had been told that he was her husband for almost twenty years, that the boy sitting behind him was her son. She could barely remember their names, even after she had been told.  
  
She looked down at her mug and saw it was empty. She held it out, almost child-like. "Could I...get some more of this...please?" She faked a slight smile.  
  
Jon took the mug and beckoned Clark to follow him outside the room. "Would you go get your mother some more hot chocolate? I'd like a few minutes alone with her."  
  
" Sure, Dad," Clark said, taking the cup and heading for the cafeteria. He got there and saw Pete and Chloe. He noticed she was in a hospital grown. "Chloe.What happened to you? Why are you here?"  
  
Chloe's shoulders slumped at the sound of the voice behind her. She squeezed her eyes shut, hoping they'd keep tears from spewing forth. "I'm not speaking to you, Clark." She had rememberd what Lex had said about Clark being the hero-type and he did save Lana. But it wasn't him running off as her reason for not speaking to him-it was her. After all the bad things she said about him, after her accident, after all he had been thru, she just couldn't bare to speak to him.  
  
Pete leaned back in his seat and folded his arms. He was seething mad at Clark for what he had done to Chloe. In his mind's eye, if it weren't for Clark, Chloe wouldn't be here. "How could you, Clark? How could you do something like this? See what running off to Lana did this time?"  
  
Chloe raised a hand. "Pete, no."  
  
Pete stood and slammed his chair into the table. "No, Chloe! Clark's the one that did this to you!"  
  
"What're you talking about?" Clark asked, confused.  
  
"I'm talkin' about if you hadn't run off to get Lana, Chloe wouldn't have had her car accident and had her skull cracked open!"  
  
Clark looked at Chloe with the bandage covering her pretty blonde hair. "Chloe.I."  
  
"It's okay, Clark," Chloe said. "I'm alright." It was a half truth. The only that made her alright was knowing Lana was rescued.for real.  
  
"Why you lyin', Chloe?" Pete asked. "I was there. I saw your tears, your sad face. I saw your blood covered body." Pete turned back to Clark. "When you gonna get your priorities straight, man?"  
  
Clark was hurt. He started to grow angry with Pete's words. He couldn't believe his best friend since Kindergarten was telling him off like this. "Look, if I hadn't saved Lana, no one else would, and she'd be dead, now!"  
  
Pete grunted. "Yeah, right.Doesn't look like she'll live much longer anyways."  
  
Clark furrowed his eyebrows. "What do you mean?"  
  
Chloe turned to look at Clark. "Haven't you heard? Lana's dying."  
  
Clark froze, shock taking over his facial expressions. "Lana." he whispered. He turned to leave without saying goodbye.  
  
"See?" Pete said. "There he goes again!" 


	8. Revenge

Lex Luthor awoke and rolled over to see that there was no one in his room. He looked down at his injuries and saw that he had once again been stiched up. Lex didn't like the hospital, that's why he left early before, and even though his better judgement knew he should stay and be looked after, Lex had many things that needed to be done. He threw his jacket on and exited his hospital room and went to the front desk.  
  
"Lex Luthor. I'm checking out," he said to the nurse behind the desk.  
  
"Mr. Luthor, I'm afraid I cant medically let you leave for at least another 24 hours..." the woman meekly replied.  
  
"I'm Lex Luthor, I dont care if I'm not medically cleared. I'll waiver your liability if i get re-injured, alright?" Lex shouted as he headed towards the exit. Lex walked to the car he had left outside, and hopped in the drivers seat, when Lex sat down he heard the chilling sound of a gun cocking and he felt the cold end of a barrel placed against the back of his head.  
  
With the door closed and Nell asleep at Lana's side, her room was dead quiet, besides the hissing and beeping of machines keeping her alive. Her head was wrapped in gauze and her right arm was in a cast. Other injuries riddled her body but could not be seen through her gown and blankets. On her file that hung off the edge of her bed, the doctors had listed her as comatose and unlikely to wake. Oxygen deprevation had caused Lana to pass out in the first place and being flung around in the truck as it was tossed randomly around in the twister had caused extensive internal damage. In fact, the doctors thought she should have been dead long ago.  
  
But even though Lana's outward appearance was morbid, inside she was very much alive. Her mind was reeling, trying to figure out what was going on. It was dark all around her and she couldn't move. Lana tried to scream out but nothing happened. Where is everyone? she wondered. Am I dead? Lana caught her breath and began to recap on the last things she remembered. The Twister, Whitney, Clark... passing out across the seat next to her. Her last thoughts were of all the things she thought she would never get a chance to do. And now... I thought it was supposed to be white and calm when you died, she thought. Is this what the afterlife is like? Nothing.just silence...?  
  
Lana wanted to give up. Her emotions were draining and she didn't see any reason to fight. If I'm dead... then there's no point.  
  
Outside, Lana's heart rate fell slightly and her vitals dipped farther. She had no idea that there were people worried for her, that they were pulling for her. She had no idea that she was still alive.  
  
The machines starting beeping and buzzing and alarming when Lana's heartbeat fell near failure. Nell woke up, scared. She started screaming for a doctor. A whole fleet of them came rushing in with their medical equipment. They started to resusetate(sp?) her. Nell was hysterical. They had to call in a nurse to calm her down. Please, Lana! Live! Please... she thought. It looked bleak for Lana..  
  
"Dont move, Lex," the voice said, Lex slowly turned to see that the voice was that of Nixon.  
  
"Your dead!" Lex said.  
  
"Oh Lex, you should have paid more attention. You see, when you and Mr. Kent were rolling out of the way of the explosion, I dived out of the car and hid untill the two of you were gone. Then I hitched a ride with the amublunce you so valiantly called for the taxi driver, however...they got there too late to save him." Nixon smiled sadisticly  
  
"You...killed...him?" Lex asked as he swallowed hard.  
  
"Of course I did. I couldnt risk him running to the police and telling them I tried to run you down. Now Lex, you're going to drive me back to the Kent farm, or I'm going to splatter your billion dollar brains all over that billion dollar coat of yours. I'd drive myself but, my other hand seem to have been a little mangeld in that 'accident' we had back there." Nixon said as he held up the hand that wasn't holding the gun.  
  
Lex thought for a moment. Nixon saw him destroy the tape, what else could there be that would be of any interest to him? "What to do you want from the Kents?"  
  
"I don't want anything of material value.I just want to watch as there precious little farm burns! When everyone left the farm, I went back there and felt a little chilled from the rain, so I decided to start myself a little fire..."  
  
Lex grew very angry and let his rage out by grabbing the gun, surprisingNixon, and turning the tables on him. Lex smashed the gun over the bridge of Nixons nose and put the end of it in Nixon's mouth. "You damn well better hope your little fire didn't destroy the Kent Farm, or I will personally insure the rest of your life is a living hell!" Lex hit Nixon over the head with the gun and ran back to the hospital entrance/exit.  
  
Pete and Chloe had returned from the cafeteria and were passing by just as Lex ran in. They stood there with shocked looks on their faces, because Lex still had the gun in his hand. Lex approached them and held the gun at his side.  
  
"The Kent Farm...it's on fire!" 


	9. Fire!

Clark was allowed to see Lana after the doctors had stabalized her some. He felt it was his fault that Lana was dying, being kept alive only by machines. He wished he could get inside her mind and tell her to come back. Was she even dead yet? Can the body go on without the soul? Even if it could, this was no way to go on. Hooked up to machines, eyes not even twitching beneath her eyelids.This was no way to live.  
  
Clark took Lana's nimble hand in his large one. Nell had left the room, allowing Clark some time to speak to Lana in private. "I'm so sorry.It's all my fault. Had I been there sooner.Had I taken you to the hospital first instead of the farm." He paused and made a big sigh. His eyes began to water. He glanced upward at the ceiling, hoping the tears would roll back into his eyes. He looked back down at the nearly lifeless Lana. She looked beautiful, even when comatose. He wondered if all dying people looked beautiful before they went. Clark shook his head. "Life is full of 'Had I's' and 'What if's'.Maybe they're all right. Maybe I can't save the world. I sure can't save my friends. I couldn't save you. I couldn't save Lex. I couldn't save Mom. I couldn't save Chloe. Where the heck do I get the idea that I can save the world? Maybe I'm destined to be just the little farm boy that grows into a poor farm man that can't even support his own family and is too stubborn to take charity.like my dad." Clark sighed again. "I doubt I could even do that right. Who'd want to marry a freak from another planet? I probably wouldn't even be able to have kids.And if I could, they'd end up freaks like me. The cycle would keep repeating.Who am I kidding? I haven't a chance here.or anywhere."  
  
Clark paused and remembered what he had learned in Health Class. That sometimes unconscious people can hear-and remember-every word that's said to him. Clark's eyes widened. "Oh, gosh! I can't even keep my secret! I can't do anything right!"  
  
Suddenly, Lana's hospital room door swung open. "Clark! We have a major problem!" It was Chloe, dressed in normal clothes, but with a bandage still wrapped around her head.  
  
Clark's brows furrowed. "What's wrong?"  
  
Chloe had run from the other side of the hospital and was out of breath. "It's the farm.It's on fire."  
  
Nixon had, indeed, set the Kent Farm ablaze, starting with the barn. He had poured gasoline all over the ground, to make sure the fire caught on quickly and burned furiously. First it would be the Kents...Nixon had other plans for carrying out his vendetta against Lex Luthor...  
  
Lex had asked to take Pete's car, for obvious reasons he didn't want to expose to his friends. Pete agreed, only because he and Lex-for once-had the same objective: Helping the Kents. Chloe climbed in with the two men.  
  
The hospital had allowed Martha to be discharged. Lex had called another taxi to pick up the Kents and take them to their humble home.  
  
The two cars were coming up the frontage road and were able to see the flames roaring. What happened next was strange. A bubble of fire managed to detach from the actual flame and just hover around it.  
  
"What's it doing?" Lex asked.  
  
Pete shrugged.  
  
Chloe gave her thoughts. "I think it's...suffocating... itself..."  
  
"Impossible!"  
  
The two cars pulled onto the property a safe distance from the blaze. Everyone exited their vehicles and stood while watching in awe, Chloe snapping pictures.  
  
"Is this our home?" Martha asked, still suffering from amnesia.  
  
A tear seeped from Jonathan's left eye. Generations of devotion...wasted. He nodded. "It was..."  
  
Suddenly, the flames died instantly and miraculously, leaving only the fiery bubble--which disappeared as soon as it seemed the fire was completely extinguished.  
  
Chloe turned to Lex. "I told you it looked like it was suffocating itself."  
  
The whole lot of them stood there, perplexed by the mysterious dying of the fire.  
  
Local authorities soon pulled up. "Where's the fire?"  
  
The group was still silenced by the mystery, then Jon spoke up. "You just missed it..."  
  
Meanwhile, hiding at the edge of the woods nearby the Kent Farm was a small figure, watching. She sighed. Her work was done.  
  
The firemen approached Jonathan, a bit clueless. "Where's the fire?" one asked, taking off his helmet and scratching his head.  
  
Jon looked at the fireman, then at the burnt building and then back the fireman. He shrugged and shook his head. "I don't know...It put itself out or something."  
  
"Fires don't just put themselves out," the fireman responded.  
  
"This one did," Chloe chirped.  
  
The fireman glanced at Chloe. He didn't like kids that told what was or wasn't. He turned back to Jonathan. "Do you know how this might have started? A leaky gas valve...cigarette..."  
  
Jon turned to Lex Luthor and gave him his trademark stare of hatred. "I don't know. Why don't you ask Lex, here. He seems to more about my own home and family than I do."  
  
Lex was a bit annoyed with Mr. Kent's comment, but he could understand his frustration, and Lex did know the reason the fire started.  
  
"It appears when there was a car crash up here Mr. Kent and I had dragged back some oil and gas on our feet and clocthing. A spark at the house must have lit that fire...I cant think of any other explanation..."  
  
Chloe and Zack seemed to buy the story, but Johnathan wasn't.  
  
"How did you know the house was on fire when you were at the hospital Lex?" asked Johnathan  
  
"I got a call from my taxi driver, the one who got picked up by the paramedics after us, he told me what had happened. I got you and came here," Lex lied, trying to keep his face calm and his smile broad.  
  
Jonathan was still skeptical.  
  
"Mr. Kent, I'll be more than happy to lend out a loan to your family," Lex said.  
  
"Damn it, Lex! How many times do I have to tell you I don't want any of your father's blood money building my farm!" John screamed at Lex.  
  
"You don't have to Mr. Kent, because no longer am I an employee of Luthor Corp, and I do not work under my fathers guise. I'm starting my own business, LexCorp. So you don't have to take my father's money-you can take mine," Lex said as Jon looked shocked.  
  
Jonathan wasn't buying any of what Lex said. He may be quitting LuthorCorp, but that wasn't going to erase 21 years of being raised as a Luthor. "Y'know Lex," he said. "I believe your father said the same exact thing years ago. You may be trying to avoid becoming your father, and his father before him, but it's not going to work, Lex. Everytime it's been tried by a Luthor, they always turn out worse than the Luthor before him. Maybe instead of running, you should be standing up for what little good you may still believe in."  
  
Lex was on the verge of an outburst, but he respected Mr. Kent more than to let himself lose control over himself.  
  
"Mr. Kent, I am standing up for what I believe in. I believe that the hard working people of Smallville who worked at my father's plant will find that working for me will be much more worth while, with more benefits, higher salaries and much less stress. The LuthorCorp plant in Smallville is in the process of being bought out by myself. And that's only the beginning.  
  
"Also, Mr. Kent, I also believe in your son, Clark. I'll fight for him any day of the week because he is my friend and I respect him. Just like I respect you and your wife. Now, if you'll exuse me, I have some busniess I need to attend to in Metropolis in order to secure the plant as part of LexCorp."  
  
Lex turned and walked to the taxi cab that had brought the Kents, leaving a still hateful Jonathan Kent. 


	10. Redd

Chloe had been taking pictures of the ruined farm. She never went anywhere without her camera and tape recorder. She noticed some movement in the woods beside the farm. She used her camera to zoom in and saw a frail looking young woman with calf-length red hair. She snapped a shot and walked over to where Clark and Pete were talking remorsefully. "Hey Clark! Do you recognize this girl?"  
  
Clark looked at the picture on Chloe's digital camera. He shook his head. "No.Why?"  
  
Chloe pointed over to where she saw the girl. "She was lurking around the woods just a few minutes ago."  
  
Clark looked over in that direction. He was able to see her thru the trees with his X-Ray vision. He turned back to his parents. "Mom! Dad! I'm going to look at something with Pete and Chloe. I'll be right back."  
  
Jonathan looked at his son. "Okay. Be careful. We don't need anyone else getting hurt." He looked at his wife, and went to put his arm around her. Still amnesiatic, she pushed him away, uncomfortable with hugging a man she didn't recognize. To Jonathan, it was like getting hit below the belt.  
  
Chloe, Pete and Clark wandered off into the woods, looking for the girl in Chloe's picture. After almost an hour of searching, they found nothing.  
  
"We should be heading back," Clark said. "My parents--or at least my dad-- will start to worry."  
  
"No, no, no!" Chloe said. "Just a little further.You guys aren't afraid, are you?" She knew that last line would strike a nerve and convice the boys to stay a while longer.  
  
"Of course not!" Pete said, straightening himself up to stand nobily, causing everyone to exchange a few giggles.  
  
"Okay," Clark said. "We'll keep going until we hit the river."  
  
A few minutes later, they were standing on the river banks. "Nothing," Pete said.  
  
Chloe looked around, using her camera's zoom as a telescope. Just down south she spotted a small shack. "Not nothing." she said. ".Something." She headed off.  
  
The two boys followed her. They were just within a few yards of the shack when Clark started to feel sick. He looked down at his hands. His veins were bulging and green. He looked down at the ground. Scattered all over were meteor fragments. "Maybe we should head back. I mean.if I were this mystery girl, I'd want to stay just that-a mystery."  
  
Chloe had just reached the shack. "Oh come on, Clark! Don't chicken out on me! Besides.All mysteries need solving." She smiled perkily.  
  
Pete groaned. "I swear, when Robert Stack retires, Chloe should take over 'Unsolved Mysteries'."  
  
Clark forced a small laugh, but it was obvious he wasn't feeling well.  
  
"Clark? You okay?" Pete asked.  
  
Clark groaned. "I don't feel too well." He tried to cover his hands, not wanting his friends to see his skin freaking out.  
  
"Chloe!" Pete called out. "We gotta leave! I think Clarks' gonna pass out!"  
  
"Just gimme a sec!" Chloe found the entrance to the metor-pummeled shack. She opened the door slowly and found the red head, sleeping on an old, gross looking futon. "Uh.guys?" she said. "I think I found our mystery woman."  
  
Suddenly the girl's eyes popped open, revealing their violet color. She jumped at the sight of Chloe and backed into a corner. Her eys grew wide. She was obviously afraid.  
  
"It's okay," Chloe said. "I won't hurt you."  
  
The girl didn't believe her at first. She stared at Chloe for a long time, almost as if she was searching something, taking note of the camera she held. Finally, the girl eased a bit, almost as if she knew for a definite fact that Chloe wasn't going to cause her any harm. "What do you want?" she said softly.  
  
Chloe stood there and just looked at the girl. She looked so pitiful. Her long, red hair was dirtied as well as her skin. Her clothes were tattered and torn. It didn't look like the girl had eaten in a couple days. She was skinny and frail-she looked like she could be broken into tiny bits with just the lightest of breezes blowing by.  
  
Chloe furrowed her eyebrows and bit down on her lip. "Um." She flashed a small smile. "You look like you could use something to eat.Would you want to come back with me?"  
  
The girl looked at the camera, then back at Chloe. "No pictures," she said.  
  
Chloe looked confused, then remembered her camera. "Oh! Right! No pictures. I promise." Chloe smiled brightly.  
  
The girl followed Chloe out and stopped dead in their tracks when she saw Pete and Clark, who had managed to get far enough away from the meteor rocks. The two boys seemed stunned that Chloe actually found the girl.  
  
"Chloe? Who are they?" the girl asked.  
  
"Oh.Those are my friends, Pete and Clark." Chloe paused and looked at the girl. "How did you know my name? I didn't tell you."  
  
The girl became a little on edge. She looked around and saw Chloe's hospital tag. "The bracelet.on your wrist. I read your name from there," she lied.  
  
"What's your name?" Clark asked.  
  
There was something strange about Clark that had struck the girl. Something special, for she didn't hear his voice inside her head. "I'm called Redd," the girl said as she ran her fingers thru a small lock of red hair.  
  
"Redd?" Chloe said skeptically as they started to head back to the Kent Farm. "Your parents named you Redd?"  
  
Redd glanced down at the ground and then back up, never making eye contat, however. "My real name I shall not reveal to you. It's important for me to remain non-existant." She paused. "Redd was the nickname I was given by family and kin, before they all died." 


	11. Martha

The firemen eventually left the farm, after seeing that it was, in fact, completely out. Jonathan went about surveiling the damage with Martha. He hoped that she would recognize something, to no avail.  
  
The barn, silo, and a part of the fields where the cows resided had been burnt completely. The house wasn't too bad. The kitchen was completely gone, as well as the guest room that sat above it on the second story. Part of the living room had been scorched, but it was salvageable. Jonathan wanted to cry. His great-great grandfather built this farm when Smallville was first founded. His son and grandson had taken care of it, building it up, making improvements. Jonathan couldn't seem to hold up to that legacy.  
  
Nothing seemed to be going right, and he blamed Lex Luthor for all of it. Just a few months ago, he lost all his cows and a good twenty percent of land. LuthorCorp had apparently dumped all their bio-hazzardous waste on their land. Lex said he knew nothing about it. Which is exactly why it was his fault. It was his company, he should know every last detail of what goes on there, right down to what each and every employee was eating for lunch.  
  
Now the farm had been burned down. Jonathan knew that Lex knew how the farm had burned down. He had lied to the authorites and to Jon. It didn't surprise Jonathan. All Luthors were no good, money-sucking liars.  
  
Martha sat down on the couch. It had managed to avoid the fire's fury. She looked around and sighed. "So this is where I live?"  
  
Jonathan nodded. "For nearly 22 years," he said.  
  
Martha sighed again. "I wish I could remember. This is so hard for me, not knowing who you are. It's weird. I thought when someone had amnesia, they couldn't remember a thing, but I remember who I am, where I'm from, who my mom and dad and syblings are." She sighed again.  
  
Jonathan sat in the antique rocking chair that was in the far corner of the living room. "Martha? What are the last few things you do remember?"  
  
Martha took a deep breath. Her eyes glazed over as she tried to remember. "I remember attending Metropolis University. I was 19. As far as I'm concerned, I am 19. I was living in a dorm with my best friend, Lillian. We had so much fun together, going to football games, cheerleading, sorority parties.And my boyfriend. In fact.I we were engaged to be married. We had a big wedding all planned out. We were just waiting for the date to come around."  
  
Jonathan was caught a little off guard when his wife told him she had been engaged. He knew it wasn't to him. He didn't meet Martha until she was 21. It didn't surprise him, though. He had been engaged to Nell Potter, Lana Lang's aunt. He ended breaking it off after he met Martha, though. The two women never got along after that. But he had told his wife this. Why hadn't Martha told him that she was engaged before she met him?  
  
Jonathan had taken a few classes with Martha at the University. They even had the same circle of friends. He knew Lillian very well, along with man she eventually married. They all used to hang out together. Jonathan was curious. "Who was your fiancee?" he asked.  
  
Martha smiled. She still thought she was 19, and her fiancee was the last man she ever remembered loving. "Lionel Luthor," she said dreamily.  
  
Jonathan's eyes just about jumped out of their sockets. His heart began to race. Lionel Luthor? He thought. Lionel Luthor?! Jonathan became enraged, but tried not to lose his cool in front of his wife.  
  
Martha turned to Jon. "What ever happened to him? Why did we end up calling off our wedding? Do you know?"  
  
Jonathan clenched his fists and gritted his teeth. He tried so very hard to remain calm. "I-I don't know why you called off your marriage.I never knew you two were involved together."  
  
"Oh," Martha said, becoming very uncomfortable. She paused. "Did you know him at all?"  
  
"Yes." Jonathan said regrettingly. "We used to be best friends. But.uh.that thing happened."  
  
"What thing?" Martha was completely oblivious.  
  
Jonathan sighed. "Oh Martha, I wish you could remember. You and Lillian were there when it happened." He paused. "It's just so.painful.to remember that fight." Jonathan now wished he was the one with amnesia. That was the night he had lost the best friend he had ver had. "It was 23 years ago, shortly after you and I were married. Lillian was pregnant her son .We got into an argument about-"  
  
Jonathan was cut off when Clark, Pete and Chloe entered with the small, frail girl they had found in the woods. "Hey Dad! Mom." He looked at his dad, almost as if to ask if she was any better.  
  
Jonathan shook his head, still a little shaken by his previous conversation.  
  
"Hey Mr. Kent," Chloe said perkily. "We found you another stray." Chloe stepped out of the way to reveal the carrot top. "Her name's Redd."  
  
The girl was almost frightened by Jonathan's large stature, just as she was with Clark's. But, unlike Clark, she was able to hear Jonathan's thoughts and feel his emotions. He was obviously disturbed.  
  
Jonathan just stared at the girl, not saying anything.  
  
"Uh, we figured that since the house wasn't completely destroyed, we could clean her up and give her something to eat," Clark said.  
  
Jonathan looked at Clark. "Kitchen's detroyed. As well as out emergency food supplies."  
  
"That's okay," Pete said. "I've got my car. Me and Chloe can go get McDonald's or something for everybody."  
  
Chloe looked at her African-American friend. "Pete. We just had three tornadoes rip thru town yesterday. What makes you think a McDonald's is going to be open?"  
  
"Chloe, I've lived here all my life," Pete said. "Trust me.McDonald's is open."  
  
Chloe and Pete took orders from everyone present. "Hey! Mrs. Kent remembers what a BigMac is," Chloe teased. The two left to get the food.  
  
Clark pulled out some clothes that belonged to his mother and gave them to Redd before showing her to the bathroom. Redd closed the door after Clark left and turned the shower on. Muddy water poured from the showerhead. Obviously a pipe had broken somewhere. It didn't matter to Redd. She closed her eyes and concentrated. A fiery glow encompassed the muddy water. Redd was telekinetically filtering out the mud from the water, sanitizing it as good as any Brita filter.  
  
After Clark had gotten Redd somewhat settled in, he proceeded downstairs. He noticed how the part of the living room closest to the kitchen was a mess. "Hey Dad, maybe now that Chloe and Pete are gone and Redd's up taking a shower, we could clean this place up. I could have it done in no time." He smiled.  
  
Jonathan walked over to Clark, making sure Martha was out of earshot. "I don't know if that's sucha good idea son."  
  
Clark's smile faded. "Why not?"  
  
Jonathan sighed. "Right now, your mother doesn't know one thing about you and she has the mentality of a 19 year old college student. Seeing you might-"  
  
"-Might shock her," Clark finished.  
  
Jon nodded.  
  
"But what if seeing me use my powers were to jog her memory?"  
  
Jon shook his head. "And what if it doesn't, son? I mean.she's psychologically 19. She doesn't have the motherly instincts to protect you, Clark. She could tell someone."  
  
"So what, now?" Clark's face grew stern. "You don't trust Mom?"  
  
"No, Clark.It's just that." Jon gave a heavy sigh a tear began to form. "This is so hard.I don't know what to do anymore."  
  
"This whole amnesia thing sucks." Clark said.  
  
"What's this about amnesia?" Redd said. She stood at the top of the stairs, wet with Martha's clothes bagging around her small features. She needed a belt to keep the pants up.  
  
Clark looked at the redhead. "During the storm, my mom got hit on head pretty hard." He was lying. He knew the ship had something to do with her condition. "She's partially amnesiatic."  
  
Redd looked down at her feet. "Oh." She looked back up. "Maybe I can be of some help."  
  
The two men exchanged glances and asked in unison, "How?"  
  
The teenage girl glanced at the floor and shrugged. "Magic?"  
  
"Redd, I think you've been hit in the head," Clark said.  
  
Redd shrugged and came downstairs. She sat on the couch next to Martha. The two exchanged glances and hello's. Redd gently put her fingertips up to Martha's temples, putting her into a trance. Redd closed her eyes and concentrated.  
  
The next thing Redd knew, she was inside Martha's mind. It was a dark room, filled with doors. Only a few doors were open. Many after a certain point were closed and locked.  
  
"Where are we?" Martha asked.  
  
"We're on what's called the Astral Plane of you mind," Redd explained. "What you're seeing is what your mind has created to compensate for a place you can interact in."  
  
"What?" Martha was confused.  
  
"Nevermind," Redd said.  
  
She approached the first closed door and put her hand on the doorknob. She closed her eyes. Redd was a gifted woman. She had extraordinary abilities. One was telekinesis; the other telepathy. She used the latter to unlock the door in Martha's mind. When it opened, memories came flooding thru. One by one, Redd went to each door and used her telepathy to open all the doors, restoring Martha's memory completely.  
  
Redd closed her eyes again, and when she opened them she was off the Astral Plane and back in the real world. She broke Martha's trance and brought her back to consciousness.  
  
Martha's eyes fluttered open. She looked around and saw her husband and son-and she could remember them! She jumped off the couch and rushed into an embrace, crying. She started telling them various things, proving her memory was restored.  
  
"What did you do to her?" Clark asked.  
  
"Magic," Redd replied simply. 


	12. Conspiracy

It was a dark hallway lit by candles. The storm had blown the electrical lines that powered the great mansion. Despite what had happened to Lex earlier in his office, there wasn't a whole lot of damage done to his Scottish Castle. Just a few rooms demolished.nothing that money couldn't repair.  
  
Lex walked down the stone stairwell that lead to the cellar. In olden times, it would have been called a dungeon. Here, he kept certain hobbies housed, as well as the car he crashed into a bridge and should've died in, had it not been for Clark. How he managed to survive still eluded him.  
  
Lex arived in one of the chambers below the castle. He found some men and a couple women standing around. One of the men approached Lex. "This needs to be quick," he said. "I should go see how my daughter is doing in the hospital."  
  
"Chloe's fine, Gabe," Lex said. "And she's not at the hospital."  
  
Gabe Sullivan arched a eyebrow, wondering what Lex knew about his daughter that he didn't.  
  
"The Kent Farm went up in flames," Lex explained. "And of course your daughter wanted to see it first hand."  
  
Gabe bowed his head in relief and sighed. "That's Chloe," he said. "Always looking for the next major headline. I wish she wouldn't.She's gotten into so much trouble this past year alone. Thank goodness she's been alright, but her luck won't keep up forever."  
  
"Don't worry, Mr. Sullivan," Lex said with a half-cocked smile. "Chloe's not like the other girls. She can manage on her own. Consider yourself lucky to have a daughter like that."  
  
Lex turned and proceeded further into the room. He thought about the conversation he had with Chloe when they were sharing the same hospital room. He had told her and Pete that he was leaving to Metropolis. "You're the only one who can end your father's reign of terror..." she had told him. He had brushed off the comment at first but as the day went on, that phrase kept repeating itself over and over in his head. And then it clicked.  
  
Lex remembered what he had once told his father. "You know what those emperors you're so fond of talking about were really afraid of? That their sons would become successful and return to Rome at the head of their own army."  
  
"You think you can find your future in Smallville?" Lionel told his son. "I'm your future. Join me, Lex. Join me in Metropolis. How long have you been waiting to hear my say those words?"  
  
"I've waited to hear other things from you for a lot longer," Lex had confessed. "I'll return to Metropolis when I'm ready."  
  
"At the head of an army?"  
  
Lionel had closed Lex's plant. What better way to dissolve an army than to burn ther headquarters to the ground. But what Lionel had forgotten was that rebels and revolutionalists were an underground society of conspiracy. Headquarters were merely a formality, not a neccessity. This was war. And as seemed so consistant throughout history, the rebels always won.  
  
Lex almost fell into Lionel's trap of going back to Metropolis. He was going to set up base there, take his army with him. But after talking with Chloe, he knew it would be best to stay in Smallville, just outside his father's view. It'd also be best for the members of his rebellion, to stay rooted with their families. Chloe also convinced him of that.  
  
Lex shook his head slightly. Clark was always too busy chasing after Lana that he didn't realize what a great girl he could have. Chloe was amazing. Lex didn't realize it until his conversation with her in the hospital. There was more to her, unlike most journalists and reporters. Lex sighed to himself. What am I thinking? he thought. Chloe's too young.  
  
Lex took his place at the head of the room. There weren't any chairs for anyone to sit on. This meeting wouldn't take long. He hated beating around the bush, so he went straight to the point. "Welcome everyone. At our last meeting, we had decided begrudgingly that the first step in creating LuthorCorp would be to relocate to Metropolis. After some intense contemplation, I bring you a new proposal: We stay here in Smallville."  
  
Lex looked out at the small crowd and saw everyone nod in approval and smile. He continued. "I figured out that heading back to Metroolis is exactly what my father wants and what my father wants, my father gets-until now. We're not going to succumb to his wishes and deceptions any longer."  
  
The former LuthorCorp employees vocally agreed.  
  
"We're going to show him that Smallville isn't the useless town he thinks it is. We're going to show him that the people here have values and needs that shouldn't be ignored!"  
  
The small congregation began to cheer slightly.  
  
"And most of all, we're going to show Lionel Luthor that actions don't go without punishment! We'll make him regret ever shutting down Plant Number Three!"  
  
The group cheered again, louder. Gabe Sullivan, Lex's head trustee was standing next to him. "Sheesh, Lex. I've never seen anyone get peple to cheer like that with a speech since Kennedy was President."  
  
Lex cocked a smile. "He's one of my idols."  
  
Suddenly the crowd began to quiet down when a "Tsk. Tsk. Tsk," was heard. Lex turned to see the source of the noise, as did everyone else.  
  
"It's quite disturbing when the hearts of the children turn away from that of their fathers," a sinister voice snickered.  
  
Lex furrowed his eyebrows and squinted his eyes slightly, giving off his "hate" look. "Dad.How did you manage to get down all those stairs in a motorized wheelchair?" His voice was filled to the spilling point with despise.  
  
Lionel Luthor pressed a button and his wheelchair moved forward. "Now, now Lex. I was the one ho had this castle shipped from Scotland and rebuilt here for your mother. I know the blueprints backwards and forwards. There are.other.ways of getting into the dungeon aside from stairs." He grinned evilly.  
  
"I admire your ploy.Lex, but it won't work when no one will follow you."  
  
Lex looked around the room. Did he not see the thirty-some-odd people who had willing gathered here?  
  
"What are you talking about, Mr. Luthor?" Gabe asked. "We're no longer yours to order around."  
  
Lionel grinned. "No. Indeed, you're not. But you've forgotten one.small.detail: I own all the banks here in Smallville." He glanced around the room, making eye contact with everyone there. "If any of you miss one tiny bill, if you miss it by one cent, I'll have your mortgages closed. And when Lex's little ploy fails, you'll all be out of jobs. Good luck finding another one without a home address. You''ll all be left out on the streets, begging for work. Work that I, personally, will make sure you never find."  
  
The group went silent and grim. The idea that LexCorp wasn't such a good move kept cycling thru their heads. They had families to think about.  
  
"Remember that," Lionel said, "before you go jumping in over your heads." And with the push of a button, he wheeled from the room.  
  
Lex was left seething. He watched as one by one, his small rebellion left, abandoning him. Gabe turned to him and put a hand on his shoulder. "Lionel's right. No one's going to follow suit after a threat like that."  
  
"What about you, Gabe?" Lex asked. "Are you still with me?"  
  
Gabe bowed his head then looked back up at the bald, young man. "I would. But I have to think about Chloe."  
  
Chloe. Why was she everywhere Lex turned? 


	13. Secrets

Dinner at the Kent home would have been eaten in silence, had Chloe not started up various topics of conversation, the main one being her theory on how the meteor rocks would have had something to do Martha's amnesia and sudden recovery. Neither of the three Kents explained who was behind the real cure. They could understand why the mysterious girl known only as Redd would want to keep her secrets.  
  
Dinner had ended when Chloe's dad came and picked her up. She was a little surprised that he knew where she was. After all, she had taken off from the hospital without even informing the nurses. Apparently Lex had given Gabe the tip on where to find his daughter, which surprised Chloe as well. Why would her father be speaking with Lex Luthor? He father merely mumbled something about "tying up loose ends."  
  
Pete left shortly afterwards. It was getting dark and he hadn't been home since he found Chloe lying on the road a bloody mess. He needed a shower and needed to get out of his tux.  
  
That left Redd. She had thanked Pete and Chloe for the food before the each had gone their separate ways, and thanked the Kents for letting her wash up and allowing her to keep the clothes she had been given. She began to leave back towards her little shack in the woods, when Martha began insisting that the frail, young girl stay.  
  
Jonathan, of course had his objections. He took Martha aside, away from Clark and Redd, so they would be able to discuss the matter without hurting the small redhead's felings. "We can't just keep her."  
  
"Why not?" Martha asked. "The girl gave me my memory back. She gave my identity back to me, Jonathan. She has nowhere else to go. We at least owe her a place to stay."  
  
"Martha," Jonathan said, "look around you! The kitchen and guest room have been destroyed. We have no food, not even for ourselves. We have no place to put her."  
  
"Well, anyplace is better than the woods, even if it means we have to put her in the storm cellar or in the livingroom. I'm sure she'd be grateful for even that much."  
  
"I'm she would, too. It's just that." Jonathan trailed off. He was never truly good with words. "It's just that even if we do keep her, we wouldn't be able to for very long. We're going to have to spend all our money on rebuilding the farm, and that won't even be enough. How could afford to feed another person?"  
  
It was almost pointless for Martha and Jonathan to step out of the room. Redd had been on the run for a few months, always alert in fear of her life. Her paranoia had trained her senses well. She could hear everything that the two adults were saying without the use of her telepathy. So could Clark. As keen as Redd's senses were, Clark's were by far keener.  
  
The two had been sitting across from each other on the floor, staring at the other, trying to figure the other out. Redd was a mystery to Clark. She somehow managed to restore his mother's memory completely in a matter of a few minutes. He knew it wasn't magic. He had seen many people with strange gifts and abilities. He wanted to know hers.  
  
Clark was also somewhat of a mystery to Redd. Try as she might, she couldn't get inside his mind. It was a strange a feeling fo her. It should have scared her, but instead, she felt a calmness, as if she had nothing to fear from him.  
  
Redd got up and moved into the room Jonathan and Martha were in. Clark followed her, lagging behing some. "You needn't provide me with a place to stay," she told the two adults. "I've been making do in the old shack for such a long while now.I'm rather used to it. And I wouldn't want you to go to such lengths for someone as.strange.as myself. I shall be leaving." It was odd. For a homeless, run-away, street urchin, Redd spoke like royalty. When she turned to walk away, she didn't slouch, but walked with perfect posture with the greatest of ease. Something was definitely amiss with the child.  
  
"No! Wait!" Martha cried out. "You're staying!"  
  
Jonathan grabbed Martha's arm. "We're not done talking," he whispered in her ear.  
  
Martha nodded and then turned to her son. "Take Redd for a walk or something. Make sure she doesn't go anywhere."  
  
"Sure," Clark said as he went out the door.  
  
Redd hadn't gotten far before Clark had caught up with her. "Hey, where are you going?" he asked. "Looks like you're staying." Clark flashed his trademark smile.  
  
"Only for one night," Redd said simply.  
  
"You don't know that for sure."  
  
"Don't I?" Redd said with slight sadness reflecting in her voice. She shook her head. "I'm sorry.I didn't mean to sound so rude." Redd turned away from Clark.  
  
"You didn't." Moments of silence passed before Clark's curiosity got the best of him. "I don't mean to pry, but.how did you do that? How'd you get my mom's memory back?"  
  
Redd shrugged as she looked at her feet. "How are you able to lift an entire tractor with one hand?"  
  
Clark's steely blue eyes grew large. "What are you talking about? No one can do that."  
  
Redd turned back around to face Clark. "You can. When I was restoring your mother's memory, I saw.glimpses.into her mind. I didn't mean to. I just happened to catch bits and pieces. I saw you doing that.lifting a tractor like a textbook."  
  
The pieces were starting to come together in Clark's mind. Earlier that year, his parents had taken in another stray that could read minds. "You're psychic, aren't you?"  
  
Redd nodded. "A telepath, to be exact. A telekinetic as well."  
  
Clark was surprised that the girl possessed a second power. And it made sense, too. She was living in shack that had been pelted by meteor fragments. Chloe had a theaory that most of the freaks around here gained their abilities thru exposure to the meteor rocks. In most cases, it seemed to be proven true.  
  
Redd shook her head. "I don't even know why I'm telling you this.I can't even read your mind. I should be frightened and apprehensive-but I'm not. For some reason, I feel there's nothing to fear about you. Maybe that's why I can't read you're mind. You're so pure, it's unneccessary."  
  
Clark blushed a little with a smile. "I wouldn't go so far as to say that."  
  
"What else is weird," Redd continued, "is that I feel a connection with you.Like I would towards a brother, had I one. It's quite peculiar."  
  
Silent moments passed again, Redd looking out at the horizon where the sun had just set, clouds making the sky darker than normal. "So why did you come to Smallville?" Clark asked, trying to make conversation.  
  
"I.uh." The topic was one of difficulty for Redd. In her violet eyes was pain and agony, yet she did not cry. "Can you keep a secret?"  
  
Clark nodded.  
  
Redd took a deep breath. "Someone's trying to kill me."  
  
It was such a simple sentence, yet the story behind it was so much more complicated. Clark was even more shocked by these words than the revelation that the young girl was a telepath/telekinetic. Who would want to hurt such a tiny frail like Redd? "Why?" Clark asked, getting a little purturbed that someone would be evil enough to do such a thing.  
  
Redd shrugged. "Money.I guess.My grandmother quite the amount before she was murdered by the same man that's after me. I'm her only living relative.All that money would go to me, had I not 'vanished'. Until then.the account's frozen until I reemerge into the real world.or if I turn up dead."  
  
"Do you have any idea who would want all that money?" Clark wanted to help this girl. He felt the same sybling-esque connection Redd had mentioned earlier. He wanted to help her.  
  
Redd shook her head. "I haven't the slightest hint of an idea."  
  
"What about the police?"  
  
"The FBI were called into the matter.I was taken into protective custody once my life was being threatened. For all their technology and professionalism, they couldn't help me. My killer used Voodonic Magicks to break into the facility I was staying at. His magicks nulled my powers-I was defenseless against him! He almost killed me, but he disappeared at the last moment in a puff of green smoke. No one was there, he just vanished as if someone were. I ran from the facility that night. If the FBI couldn't protect me that night, then they most likey couldn't in the future. And how can they, against one who weilds the power of the Black Arts?"  
  
Something clicked in Clark's head. "Wait.You had your powers before you came to Smallville?"  
  
Redd nodded.  
  
This was odd. Clark thought Redd had gained her powers by exposure to the meteor rocks. He needed to know more. "When did you get your powers?"  
  
Redd sighed and moved to sit down on the trunk of a toppled tree. "It's a long story.When I was thirteen, I was on a flight from Cairo to New York with my parents. Some terrorists blew the plane up. My powers first manifested then, as I was falling from the sky. A telekinetic bubble engulfed me, keeping debris from hitting me and keeping me from drowning in the Atlantic. I heard.voices.in my head. The voices of everyone dying around me.It's amazing what people think as they take their final breath.It's also heart-wrenching.I tried listening for my parents thoughts. I never heard-or saw-them ever again. I was never the same after that.  
  
"I eventually learned to harness my powers, stretching and developing them. I kept them a secret from everyone, save my grandma. That's why I'm surprised why I'm telling you this. I've never trusted anyone like this before. It's quite out of character for me."  
  
Clark put a large hand on the frail's tiny shoulder. "I'm going to do everything I can to help you."  
  
Redd looked at him. "I doubt, in such a circumstance as mine, that it shall be much." Sadness again reflected in the young girl's large, violet eyes.  
  
Jonathan and Martha Kent came outdoors to talk to Redd. "We've made a descision," the burly man said.  
  
"You're staying," Martha said with a smile on her face.  
  
"But only for a bit," Jonathan added. "We can't keep you here very long. And you probably ought to be taken into social services."  
  
Redd's eyes grew large and Clark stiffened. "I don't think that's such a good idea, Dad."  
  
"That's what I tried to tell your mother, but she insisted Redd stayed-"  
  
"No, Dad. I don't think sending Redd into social services would be a good idea."  
  
The two adults exchanged curious and worried glances. "Why not?"  
  
It was Clark and Redd's turn to exchange worried glances. Clark soon explained everything that Redd had told him. Martha and Jonathan understood why Redd would seek refuge in hiding. They still agreed to let her stay until they figured out something else to do with her.  
  
Redd almost wished they had tried to turn her in or deny her refuge after learning that information. The one thing that the Kents didn't know, was that everyone Redd touched died. And they died horrible, merciless deaths. 


	14. Romances

Chloe Sullivan. Why did he smile everytime he thought of her? She was unlike any other girl. She wasn't ditzy and over-obsess about make up, hair, clothes, guys and other such shallow matters. She was smart and spunky-No. Not spunky. If you call a girl like Chloe Sullivan "spunky", she'll most likely throw something at you causing you to lose consiousness, drag you somehwere deep into the woods and maim you. She was.snarky. Yes. A much better word to describe the petite blonde: Snarky.  
  
He could have any girl he wanted. He was good looking and had a great sense of humor. Being on the football team didn't hurt either. So why Chloe? Why not Lana Lang or some other cheerleader?  
  
Pete Ross rolled over in his bed and grabbed a picture that sat on his nightstand. He laid on his back and held the picture in the air above his face. It was picture of himself, Clark and most importantly, Chloe sitting at a table at the Talon. Lana had been taking pictures that day to put in her scrapbook. She had made a few copies and gave them to her friends, encouraging everybody else to keep jornals and scrapbooks, because you never know when your orphaned children may want a glimpse into your life. Lana was obsessed with her dead parents. It sometimes bugged Pete a little.  
  
Pete traced Chloe's image with his fingers. For a white girl, she sure was pretty, and ten times more amazing. He couldn't believe that Clark couldn't see that. He was mad at the farmboy for leaving Chloe at the dance to rescue yon damsel in distress, aka Lana Lang. It was his fault that Chloe had gotten hit by those drunk drivers. It was his fault Chloe lay a mess of blood and flesh on the road. Okay, so it turned out not to be that bad, but still.None of it wouldn't have happened if Clark hadn't run off.  
  
And what surprised Pete even more was the fact that Chloe forgave him. He couldn't understand why, but he had a feeling that Lex "Let's-screw-the- Ross-family" Luthor had something to do with it. Okay, so it wasn't Lex that screwed his family twelve years ago. It was his father, Lionel Luthor. But the proverbial apple doesn't fall far from the tree.  
  
Pete sighed and kissed the picture before putting it back onto his nightstand. He rolled over and pulled the blankets up to his shoulders and drifted off to sleep.  
  
Jonathan Kent woke up suddenly. He looked at the clock which read 12:30 am. He looked over to his beautiful wife sleeping next to him. She was out cold. Only God, himself could wake her. He couldn't blame her. She had a rough two days. The tornado, Nixon, the spaceship, amnesia, Redd restoring her memory in just the matter of minutes.It overwhelmed him just thinking about everything Martha had been thru.  
  
Jonathan threw the covers off of him and got up. It was summer, but the storm had left everything feeling like winter. Most tornadoes don't have that after-affect on the weather. The wooden flor felt cold on his bare feet as he made his way to the bathroom. He put a glass under the running faucet. He took a few gulps and splashed the rest on his face. He just woke up from a night mare.  
  
He had dreamed that Lionel Luthor had come to their farm and stood right outside his bedroom window, dressed as Romeo from Shakespeare's tragedy, "Romeo and Juliet." As if seeing Lionel in tights wasn't nightmarish enough, he began reciting poetry to Martha, who was standing before the bedroom window dressed like Juliet. She was absolutely gorgeous.  
  
He then dreamed that Martha confessed her undying love to Lionel and how running away with Jonathan was the biggest mistake of her life. She jumped out the window and was caught by Lionel. She wrapped her arms around the bearded man and they engaged in a passionate kiss.  
  
Jonathan had run out from the front door, looking like a Beverly Hillbilly, with a pitchfork in his hand. Jonathan then demanded that Lionel release his wife. He even sounded like a Hillbilly. Martha began to laugh at her husband as Lionel set her down and drew a sword. "Kill my husband, dear lover," she told Lionel, "so as we may be able to wed on the morrow."  
  
Lionel lunged at Jonathan with his sword. He was a master fencer. All Jonathan had was his pitchfork. He dodged the first strike, but Lionel got him the second time. Jonathan didn't even have the time to make a reataliation. Lionel had got him straight thru the heart and out his back. Lionel pulled back the sword and wiped Jonathan's blood off of it with and embroidered silk handkerchief. Jonathan collapsed, dying. He looked at Martha. "I.I l-love.you."  
  
Martha smirked at Jonathan. "And I love Lionel," she said before turning and making-out with Lionel.  
  
That's when Jonathan woke up. The dream had disturbed him plenty. Infact, he had to try earnestly to keep his crying from waking up Martha.  
  
Chloe's face was lit up with the light from her computer. She couldn't sleep. Her head was hurting and where prescription painkillers failed, the glow of her monitor succeeded. She had long ago finished typing up an article on how local convenience stores should be more careful when selling alchohol. She decided she'd start work early on her "End-of-the-Year" edition of the Torch.  
  
She started going thru some old articles. Copying and pasting only the most memorable. This month's budget had been doubled, which meant that more color pictures could be added. Thus began the search thru her harddrive for compelling pictures to be added to the last edition. She started to feel like she was running the yearbook instead of the school paper after looking thru what seemed to be a million pictures. Then she came across one that made her stop and just stare for a few minutes.  
  
It was picture of the school play she had done in the eighth grade. It wasn't one of those plays where you had to audition. It was the kind where the teacher said, "Do it or I'll fail you!" Chloe had no choice, neither did anybody else. The play was "Robin Hood and His Merry Men." Clark had been given the role of Robin Hood, in which he absolutely sucked. But even then, he looked incredibly sexy in his costume. Once Chloe found out that he had been cast as the lead, she wanted to be Maid Miriam. But as luck would have it, that part went to Lana Lang. Chloe got stuck with Maid Miriam's "Lady in Waiting." Waiting as in, waiting for Robin to open his eyes and see what a truly great girlfriend "The Lady" could be.  
  
Chloe pushed her chair away from her desk and swiveled around, turning her back to the computer. She looked down at her feet and fiddled her thumbs. She let out a great big sigh as a single tear rolled down her rosy cheek. "Oh Clark," she whispered. "Why not me?"  
  
Chloe Sullivan. It was pretty name. Chloe Luthor. Now that had an even better ring to it. "Stop it, Lex," the bald, young man told himself. He got up off his European, plush, leather recliner and walked over to the fireplace. He stuck in a few logs to which the fire responded with a roar. It reminded him of Chloe. The way you can say something and it only fuels the fire of her mind. The way her blonde hair flares out and bounces on her shoulder. They way her-"Stop it, Lex."  
  
Lex Luthor made his way over to his personal bar, where he prepared a glass of wine for himself. He went and sat back down in his recliner, where he found himself thinking about Chloe Sullivan again. "Stop it, Lex," he told himself this time, only to have an answer come from the back of his mind. "I can't."  
  
Lex set his glass down on the table beside him, almost in frustration. Lex wanted to stop thinking about the girl. It wasn't healthy. After talking with her in the hospital yesterday, he couldn't stop picturing her lovely face and hearing her sweet voice. It was her words that had convinced him to stay in Smallville to fight his tyrant father. But was that the real reason he was staying? Or was he staying for a reason with blonde hair and green eyes? A debate soon took place in Lex' mind between the proverbial angel and the devil.  
  
It won't work out.  
  
Why not?  
  
Her father works for you.  
  
So I'll fire him.  
  
That'll work. 'Hello, Miss Sullivan, I fired your father. Care to join me for dinner sometime?'  
  
So I'll give him a promotion instead.  
  
It still won't work. You're almost twenty-two. She's-what?-Fifteen? Sixteen? That kind of love could get you arrested.  
  
No I won't. I've got money. A few pay-offs and we're fine.  
  
Money won't solve everything. What if it gets too serious, Lex? What if she gets pregnant?  
  
The devil didn't have an answer to that last question. "You're right," Lex told himself out loud. "It won't work.But she'll be eighteen in a couple of years." Lex smiled at this thought.  
  
He opened his eyes and fell. He didn't fall far, just a few inches. He was doing it again. Floating, that is. Clark sat up and scrathed his head, hoping he hadn't woken anyone up when he hit his mattress. Clark was hungry. He needed a snack. He climbed out of bed and proceeded downstairs. He only managed to get halfway down the stairwell when he realized that the kitchen had been destroyed in the fire and there was't anything to eat. He turned around to go upstairs when he heard a voice.  
  
"I thought I heard someone moving around up there." Redd sat up on the couch where she had been trying to fall asleep. "I figured it was you when I did a mindscan and found that your parents were still asleep."  
  
Clark looked at the small frail. "What time is it?" he said groggily.  
  
Redd looked at the old grandfather clock standing on the one side of the livingroom that had remained untouched by the blaze. "4:04," she said softly.  
  
Clark groaned. "Why aren't you asleep?"  
  
Redd shrugged. "I guess I'm used to sleeping for only a total of three hours a day.Sleep doesn't come easliy to one who worries most about how much longer thay have to live." Redd didn't pause long before changing the subject. "Something is bothering you."  
  
"How can you tell?" Clark asked, coming down the stairs.  
  
"You may be impervious to my telepathy, but I still have the same instincts and perceptions any normal person would."  
  
Clark sat down on the couch next to the fiery-haired girl. She had done it up in a braid so it would not tangle as she slept. "Have you ever had.feelings.for two people at the same time? I mean.romantic feelings?"  
  
Redd shook her head. "No. I can't say that I have."  
  
Swell. That made Clark feel all the more comfortable with the subject.  
  
"I take it there are two girls that you like very much," Redd said.  
  
Clark nodded. "There's this one girl that I really, really like. Then there's this other girl that I also like. But I really, really like the first one."  
  
Redd almost laughed at Clark's choice of less sophisticated words. "But."  
  
"But," Clark continued, "I took the second one to the school dance. Then this whole tornado thing happened. I got worried about the first girl. I took off, leaving the second one at the dance, to rescue the first girl. I barely made it in time.She's in a coma in the hospital. They don't think she'll make it."  
  
Redd shuddered. She didn't like death. She had seen too much of it and experienced it too often in the minds of others. "Did you say she was in a coma?"  
  
Clark nodded. "Yeah."  
  
"Is she alright aside from that?" Redd asked. "What I mean is, she doesn't have any other serious wounds or anything of the sort?"  
  
Clark shook his head. "Nothing that she couldn't recover from.A broken rib, a punctured lung.But the doctor said it wasn't too bad. She could be just fine if she just woke up. They think the head trauma is what's killing her. Her brain's swollen."  
  
"Can you get me in to see her?"  
  
Clark thought the question was quite odd. "Yeah.Sure.Why?"  
  
"I can use my telekinetic powers to stop this girl's brain from swelling. Then I can use my telepathy to pull her from her coma, thus waking her."  
  
Clark's eyes brightened. "You can do all that?"  
  
Redd nodded. "I'm quite advanced."  
  
Clark cracked his trademark smile. "I'll take you in the morning." 


	15. Astral Plane

"Lana? Lana? Hello?"  
  
"Hello?" the familiar ex-cheerleader's voice answered. She tried to look thru the complete and utter darkness to see where the voice was coming from. "Mom?" she called out, hoping it was her parents coming to whisk her away to heaven with them.  
  
A short, slender, red-headed figure stepped into view, a fiery glow emanating from her. She wore a simple purple outfit, her hair extending to her calves. "Hello, Lana. Don't you think the flowing white robe and feathery wings are a little overdramatic?" she asked, her voice melodic and gentle.  
  
Lana Lang looked at the girl confused. "I'm dead, aren't I? Isn't this what you're supposed to look like when you're dead?"  
  
The red-head chuckled slightly. "I don't know. I've never been dead."  
  
Lana became even more confused. "Well, then, why are you here?"  
  
"Miss Lang," the girl said a little more forcefully, "you're not dead either!"  
  
Lana looked down at her clothes. She saw the white robes. She saw her wings as she fluttered them. "Yes I am. My truck got caught in the tornado. It killed me."  
  
The unfamiliar girl chuckled. "You're not dead. You just think you are. You're actually in a coma at the hospital." The girl's expression grew serious. "But if you keep believeing you're dead, you soon will be. There's a simple law of physics that states 'Where the mind goes, the body follows.'"  
  
Lana looked at the red-head, still confused. "Who are you?"  
  
The girl smiled. "I am known as Redd," she stated simply. "I'm here to bring you back into the realm of consciousness."  
  
"Huh?" Poor Lana was still confused. "I'm dead. I can't just wake up."  
  
Redd rolled her eyes. She held her temper back well with her patience and compassion. "If you were dead, Miss Lang, how would I be here? How would I be able to do this?" With the wave of a hand, the darkness fades to a memory that Lana Lang had kept locked away for years: The childhood crush she had on a particular Clark Kent.  
  
Lana blushed, feeling rather embarrassed as she relived the daydream she had of him and herself playing together alone on the swingsets at the park. True, she was only nine when she had this particular dream and it had stopped as soon Clark and Pete threw mud on her brand new dress, but it was still embarrasing. "I suppose if you're an angel in heaven, you can do anything," Lana said, answering Redd's question.  
  
Redd sighed. "I'm flattered you think me an angel, but I can assure you that I am not and that this is not heaven. This is the Astral Plane. It's a place in your unconsciousness for your mind to interact in."  
  
"Like.being in an ordinary room, but putting on virtual reality goggles that make you think you're in Hawaii?"  
  
Redd thought about it for a minute. "I suppose we can use that primitive analogy for the time being."  
  
"If that's true," Lana said, "then why was I in a room of darkness?"  
  
Redd smiled sweetly. "There's a simple question. The Astral Plane of one's mind usually reflects the emotions that one supressess. With the right amount of practice and meditation, one can change the scenery altogether." With just a mere telepathic thought, the scene switches to that of a tropical one. "You mentioned something about Hawaii?"  
  
Lana smiled in awe. "Wow.It seems so real."  
  
"It's only as real as your mind wants it to be. But I must warn you, as real as it may seem, it is not. You don't have proper experience in the matters of the mind. If you stay on the Astral Plane too long, you will die, save this time, it will be genuine."  
  
Lana looked at Redd. "Are you serious?"  
  
"I do not lie. Such deeds are below me. That's why I've come here. I'm here to help you return to the real world." She smiled gently.  
  
Lana took a deep breath. "Alright. I'm ready."  
  
"Just follow me." Redd turned her back to Lana as the latter followed the former.  
  
A few minutes later, Lana Lang opened her eyes to find Nell, Clark, his parents and Redd. Her body was tingling. She found herself on a respirator, unable to talk. Clark called for a nurse but instead, doctors came running.  
  
They analysed Lana's condition for awhile, made sure she was responsive by asking her to blink on command. The deducted tat it was safe to remove the respirator from her throat.  
  
Her throat was dry and hoarse. She tried to sit up, but found that it hrt to do do. She was informed that she had broken rib and punctured a lung, but that she'd recover fully now that she was out of her coma.  
  
She looked around at everyone, who all had smiles across their faces. She made what little chit-chat she could before directing her attention at Redd. "Who're you?" she asked hoarsely.  
  
Redd smiled. "I'm a friends of Clark's from out of town."  
  
Lana looked at the petite red-head, almost trying to figure out where she recognized her from, when she couldn't, she returned her gaze to her aunt, whose eyes were filled with tears of joy.  
  
The Kents and Redd excused themselves moments later. "How come she didn't recognize you?" Clark asked the resident telepath.  
  
"I mindwiped her memory of me," Redd said. "I felt it would be best if few people knew about my powers."  
  
"Then why didn't you mindwipe me?" Martha asked.  
  
Redd stopped and paused. "I'm not sure.I just go with my feelings. I didn't feel I had the need with you. Perhaps.I figured if you could keep Clark's secret, I could trust you with mine. 


	16. Problem Solver

"Why, Miss Sullivan. I wasn't expecting to see you here. I would have thought you in Metropolis by now."  
  
Chloe looked up from her laptop and cup of coffee to see the familiar bald man. She smiled. "I don't leve for my internship until tommorrow."  
  
"I though everyone was supposed to be there four days ago." Lex took a seat across from the blonde without asking her permission first. It's something that usually bothered Chloe, but after their little chat in the hospital, she didn't mind so much.  
  
Chloe shrugged. "I know. I wanted to go then, but my dad was worried that I needed some time to heal from my injuries." Chloe motioned towards her head. She had her hair parted on the side and unflipped to cover up the wound that was healing from the injury she suffered a week ago. "Somehow, Dad managed to talk Mr. White into giving me that week instead of replacing me. I don't know how he did it.Mr. White has the reputation for being really impatient and stubborn."  
  
Lex leaned back in his chair and took a sip of his coffee. "Ah, well.Luthors have the reputation for being impatient and stubborn-as well as influential-themselves."  
  
It didn't take long for Chloe to figure out what he was getting at. "You're the one who arranged it." She leaned over and playfully slapped Lex' arm. "Don't ever play stupid with me again, Luthor."  
  
"It's Lex, Miss Sullivan. Lex."  
  
"Lex, huh? How 'bout I make you a deal-"  
  
"You, a silly little high school reporter, wants to make a deal with the king of deals?"  
  
Chloe arched an eyebrow. "Okay, you just sounded like a used car salesman. But anyways, yes. I want to make you a deal. I'll call you Lex so long as you call me Chloe."  
  
Lex pretended to be contemplating the offer then finally leaned forward and held out his hand. "It's a deal.Chloe."  
  
The petite girl took his hand and shook it firmly. "Deal." She smiled brightly. The smile that could power a town for weeks, and consequently, the same smile that Lex had been waiting to see for a week.  
  
Bells rang, signaling another customer had entered the ever so popular Talon. The two bantering partners looked up to see Clark, Pete and the mysterious redhead. Chloe waved them over. She was pleased to see that red was still in town.  
  
The trio walked over to Chloe and Lex, where she motioned for them to sit down. Pete pulled up another chair while Clark and Redd took the remaining two. Redd seemed a little akward and jumpy in such a public place.  
  
Lex studied the frail. She seemed somewhat familiar. He looked at his best friend and smirked. "Clark. I didn't think you were the type to go for redheads." He switched his gaze back to the young girl, curiosity glinting in his eyes.  
  
"It's not like that, Lex," Clark said.  
  
"Yeah," Chloe chirped in. "We found her out in the woods without a place to go. The Kents offered to let her stay as long as she needed to."  
  
"That's very nice of them," Lex said. "Do you have a name?" he asked the small frail.  
  
"Redd," she said shyly, avoiding eye contact. Eyes were the windows into one's soul, and she didn't want anyone seeing into hers.  
  
"Red?" Lex asked, somewhat confused. "I asked what your name was, not your favorite color."  
  
Pete glared at Lex. "That is her name. At least the one she's given us."  
  
"Redd," Chloe confirmed. "With two D's."  
  
"I see." Lex said skeptically. He leaned back in his chair.  
  
"So when are you moving back to Metropolis, Chlo?" Pete asked. The question came from nowhere, but he was curious about his potential love interest's future, especially if it meant them being separated.  
  
"Y'know.it's weird.Even though the plant's closing, we're going to stay here in Metropolis."  
  
"Why?" Clark asked.  
  
Chloe shrugged. "Maybe he likes living next door to meteor freaks."  
  
Everyone laughed at Chloe's snarky remark, save Redd.  
  
"That's good," Pete said. "With the plant closing and all, half the town's gonna leave." He tried to make the comment sound like it was Lex' fault. The bald man could save Pete's life and still he would hate him.  
  
"I tried my absolute best to keep the plant open," Lex said, picking up on Pete's verbal jab and defending himself. "I wanted to buy out the Smallville Plant but I don't have enough money for what my father's asking. He even went so far as to threaten my associates' mortgages if they dared try to help with funding."  
  
"That's mean," Redd said simply. It surprised everyone there that she had actually said something, particularly Lex.  
  
The group went on chit-chatting about what was going on, how the town was rebuilding, when Lana would be fully recovered from her injuries, etc. Chloe had looked at her watch and realized that she needed to get home and finish packing for her trip to Metropolis. Pete went to walk her home, leaving Clark, Lex and Redd in silence.  
  
Amazingly, it was Redd that was first to speak up. She leaned into the table, whispering. "Mr. Luthor.I think I can help you with your plant."  
  
Lex smirked skeptically. "I doubt someone like you could do anything for me."  
  
Clark looked at his best friend. "I dunno, Lex. There's a lot she's capable of." But what was it that she had in mind?  
  
"I have it back at the Kent's house," she meekly continued.  
  
"And what, pray tell, is 'it?'" Lex asked, even more curious about the girl than before.  
  
"You'll see." She smiled warmly.  
  
A few minutes later, Lex had given Clark and Redd a ride back to the Kent Farm. Martha and Jonathan came out to greet them, but Redd had flown into the house, motioning for everyone to follow them.  
  
Redd started to pull out the backpack she had been carrying with her since she ran away. She dumped the contents onto the floor. Several diamond bracelets, three sets of earrings in rubies, emeralds and sapphires, two necklaces strung with pearls and other colorful gems spilled onto the semi- charred rug. Everyone's eyes lit up. "I know what you're thinking.I didn't steal them. I pulled them from my grandmother's safe before I left Me-my town.She's been keeping them as a family heirloom. They're genuine- as far as I know-and over 50 years old."  
  
Redd opened up another pouch in her backpack and pulled out a large, royal blue, velvet box. She opened it to reveal a diamond tiara. "I think all of this might solve the plant's problems," Redd beamed happily.  
  
Everyone was dumbfounded. "Redd." Lex said, bewildered. "There's got to be billions of dollars worth of jewels here.That tiara alone must be ten million dollars."  
  
Clark's eye were large. "If you had all thses jewels, why in the world did you have to steal food?"  
  
Redd giggled a little. "I can't just walk into a pawn shop with all this. My killer would expect me to do something like that."  
  
"If you knew that," Martha began to ask, "then why did you take them in the first place?"  
  
Redd looked down at the floor, almost embarrassed. She shrugged. "I do not know.I just get these weird promptings.My mother had always told me I've been like that since I was little and that every time I chose to follow those promptings, things worked out for the best." Redd looked up and smiled slightly. "And they did. Half the people in this town will lose their jobs if the plant closes.This should provide enough money for Mr. Luthor to buy it and keep it open."  
  
Lex was still bewildered. "Of all the things you could do with this money, why are you giving it to me?"  
  
Redd smiled. "I'm not giving it to you. Not really. I'm giving it to the people of Smallville. If any of them are as hospitable and caring as the Kents, then they deserve it."  
  
Lex kneeled on the floor opposite Redd with the jewels between them. He tried to look into her eys, but she looked away. "This will be more than enough to buy out the plant. What should I do with the rest?"  
  
Redd shrugged. "I don't know.Give it to a charity.There's lots of needy families over in Egypt." Redd picked out the emerald earrings. "But I want the money from these earring to go to the Kents.It should be enough to rebuild their home and farm."  
  
"That's not necessary," Jon Kent said.  
  
"But it is," Redd insisted. "You're taking care of me, at a great risk to your own lives. It's the least I can do.besides doing some chores."  
  
"We're not going to take your family money," Jon stated.  
  
Redd wanted them to accept the money. That particular pair of earrings were worth the least of the entire bunch. However, Redd knew the right button to hit with Jonathan-she was a telepath after all-and that button was his wife. "Fine," she said. "If you don't take the money, I'll run away."  
  
Martha looked at Jonathan pleadingly. She didn't want Redd to leave. In the week that she had been here, Martha had fallen in love with the petite redhead. Jonathan caved. "Alright. Fine." he said begrudgingly.  
  
Lex looked at the girl again. So much love and compassion. If she had looked differently, she very well could have been Clark's twin sister.  
  
**********  
  
A/N: This is it. The story ends here. I'm thinking about a sequel where Redd gets kidnapped by her killer and the Smallville gang has to save her. Tell me if you like Redd enough for that to happen. Thanks for all the reviews and the support. I truly appreciate it! ^_^  
  
x Dark Phoenix II x 


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